March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Fair hearing for GNP

This summer a Bowater executive addressing a Bangor service club indicated that Bowater was studying several substantial mill modernizations for its Great Northern Paper Co. mills in Millinocket and East Millinocket. The executive also reported that GNP had been working for the past five years on the relicensing of is hydopower projects.

The executive further indicated that the hydro relicensing was critical to obtaining the financing necessity to modernize the Millinocket mills. The NEWS covered this service club address in a June 24 front-page article titled, “Bowater may spend $1 billion on mills.”

In the late summer the NEWS editorial page picked up on GNP’s relicensing efforts with editorials titled, “Bowater and dams” and “The cost of relicensing.” As you pointed out in these editorials, the challenge of the relicensing is to seek benefits for the people of the state without placing unreasonable burdens on Bowater’s resources.

There seems to be little disagreement on the importance and need for modernization of the Millinocket mills. There does, however, seem to be a lack of a sense of urgency by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in moving the process along. The timing of approval by DEP and the Maine Land Use Regulation Commissin is critical to demonstrating that this state’s government understands the importance of timing involved with the relicensing process at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Great Northern has long pursued a tradition of stewardship of its lands. It has particularly demonstrated its sense of corporate responsibility when it comes to the West Branch of the Penobscot River. Fifteen years ago it granted restrictive conservation easements along sensitive areas of the river that went far beyond already restrictive zoning. Its present application for relicensing, which has been at least five years in the works, includes numerous mitigation plans to further protect the West Branch. Additionally, GNP’s hydro facilities provide substantial public benefits in the form of recreational opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, and critical flood control.

National conservationist groups are attempting to link relicensing of GNP’s hydro facilities with major restrictions on GNP’s land holdings. This is not only beyond the requirements of relicensing law, but is unreasonable and heavy-handed.

Great Northern deserves a fair and timely hearing process by both DEP and LURC. David M. Carlisle, president Prentiss and Carlisle Management Co. Inc., Bangor


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