LIMESTONE — A cluster of air cargo developers who had hoped to transform Loring Air Force Base into an international port are looking elsewhere after they say their idea was coolly received by state and local reuse officials.

The developers, who do business with former Eastern bloc countries, were treated like “aliens from some other planet,” during meetings on their proposal, according to H. Joseph Pratt of Superior Export/Import and Assembly Ltd., spokesman for more than 20 companies wanting to base their operations at Loring.

In a Feb. 14 letter to state Rep. Paul Young, R-Limestone, Pratt described the obstacles allegedly set up by the Loring Readjustment Committee, Northern Maine Development Commission, and State Department of Economic and Community Development.

Pratt also alleged an alternative agenda on the part of reuse officials which does not include reuse for Loring.

Meanwhile, Air Force officials are preparing to close the Loring runway on Thursday, a day after the last KC-135 tanker leaves the base. According to Pratt, closing the runway will have irreversible consequences.

Base officials say the runway will receive no major maintenance after Thursday. Snow removal also will stop, they said.

Young said Tuesday that he wants to speak with Gov. John R. McKernan regarding the complaints from the air cargo businesspeople. Young cited other instances when businesspeople with an interest in the base have been given “the cold shoulder.”

NMDC Executive Director Robert Clark was attending meetings in Augusta and was unavailable for comment. Michael Aube, the state’s economic and community development commissioner, was out of the country and couldn’t comment on Pratt’s criticisms. Arthur Thompson, chairman of the Loring Development Authority of Maine, also was out of town and unavailable for comment.

LRC Chairman John McCormack said that he hasn’t been involved with Pratt, but believes that an aviation use for Loring is paramount.

“My experience with the LRC, NMDC and Maine’s economic development staff leaves me very suspicious and weary,” Pratt wrote. “Their combined ability does not reflect very much development capacity for the area.”

Pratt described the difficulties he encountered in trying to set up a January tour of the base and meeting with the Loring Development Authority of Maine, the state-created entity designed to coordinate the base reuse.

At the meeting, “Mr. Clark and Aube treated us as if (we) were aliens from another planet,” Pratt said.

On Jan. 31, letters of support from reuse officials were received by Pratt, “but without conclusive methods for proceeding.”

A contingent from Maine met with air cargo representatives on Feb. 10 in Detroit. However, no further information on setting up the airport was provided to help Pratt and his colleaugues in making a decision, Pratt wrote.

“We are now looking elsewhere,” Pratt wrote to Young. “We were, of course, encouraged by the response (from) the press, business community and elected officials (who) support our reuse proposal and regret the lack of progress. The people of Northern Maine deserve better.”

Pratt is working with Economic Research Associates in finding a northern tier base from which to fly cargo to the former Soviet Union and other formerly Communist countries.

ERA was the firm which wrote the reuse and readjustment strategy for the Loring Readjustment Committee. Reuse officials have claimed that the reuse report was incomplete and have severed their relationship with the consulting firm.