Post by Okwes on Oct 2, 2006 18:19:27 GMT -5
Former tribal representative takes position at LNG firm
By Bangor Daily News Staff
Friday, September 29, 2006 - Bangor Daily News << Back
By Diana Graettinger
Bangor Daily News
PLEASANT POINT - Quoddy Bay LNG has added a familiar face to its staff as it moves forward with permitting for its multimillion-dollar liquefied natural gas import facility on the Passamaquoddy Reservation.
Fred Moore, the former Passamaquoddy Tribal representative to the Maine State Legislature for Pleasant Point and its sister reservation, Indian Township, has joined Quoddy Bay LNG, company officials announced Thursday.
It was Moore who first introduced the Oklahoma-based company to tribal leaders at Pleasant Point. That was three years ago, after some communities in southern Maine had turned their backs on LNG.
"I was thinking about my own community and our horrific economic situation," Moore told the Bangor Daily News in March 2005. "I concluded if Pleasant Point were to host an LNG facility, Pleasant Point would become independent and quite possibly an economic power."
In April 2004, Moore approached Maine lobbyist Jim Mitchell, who knew people in the LNG industry. Mitchell introduced Moore to Quoddy LNG President Don Smith. Moore then introduced Quoddy Bay to tribal officials.
Moore’s new role in the company will be working with Smith’s son Brian, who is the project manager, to complete the development of the project.
"We are excited to have Fred working again on the project he played such a large part in starting," Don Smith said Thursday in a prepared release. "Fred put extraordinary efforts into attracting this development to the reservation three years ago, and will now assist us in the completion of this project."
While Smith and Moore have had their differences in the past, the LNG president said, "neither of us has ever doubted that LNG offers the best hope to bring economic prosperity to the Passamaquoddy. He clearly has an understanding of the intricacies of both reservations, as well as of the state government in Augusta, as a result of his public service at the Legislature. His insights will help Quoddy Bay ensure the success of one of its primary goals — to bring economic opportunity to Washington County and to its Native American residents."
The project manager said he believed Moore was a good choice for the company.
"Fred has always had the best interest of the tribe at heart and has always believed LNG development presents very strong opportunities for the tribe," Brian Smith said in a telephone interview Thursday. He also said Moore would be a good liaison between both reservations. "We are hoping that he can assist in our direct communications with the tribe in order to improve communications," he added.
Moore agreed. "I hope that I can work with both reservations to make the Quoddy Bay LNG import facility a large part of the entire Passamaquoddy Tribe," Moore said in the release. "This project started as a polite conversation in Augusta, and has blossomed into what will become an enormous part of the Washington County economy within the next couple of years."
Moore also believes that LNG is a good deal for the tribe. "It represents significant opportunities for both reservations," he added in a telephone interview Thursday.
Moore’s business relationship with Quoddy Bay LNG project changed over the past year as he sought to develop an alternative project in Calais that would be partly owned by the Indian Township Reservation. However, that project has not moved forward as quickly as Moore had hoped, the press release said. Among the problems have been leadership issues at Indian Township that have split the reservation.
Moore most recently lost by 10 votes in his bid to be governor of Pleasant Point.
Not everyone was pleased with the announcement Thursday. Linda Godfrey, spokesman for Save Passamaquoddy Bay, an opposition group, raised questions about Moore’s original connection with the Smiths, his prompt departure from the LNG company and his connection to the proposed Calais LNG project. "This is not a good move by Quoddy Bay or on Fred Moore’s part," she said.
Addressing the opposition, Moore said that he believed they should be heard. "The opposition should be heard and their concerns be incorporated into the design and plan so as to alleviate those concerns so long as they are reasonable," he said Thursday.
Contact: Diana Graettinger
By Bangor Daily News Staff
Friday, September 29, 2006 - Bangor Daily News << Back
By Diana Graettinger
Bangor Daily News
PLEASANT POINT - Quoddy Bay LNG has added a familiar face to its staff as it moves forward with permitting for its multimillion-dollar liquefied natural gas import facility on the Passamaquoddy Reservation.
Fred Moore, the former Passamaquoddy Tribal representative to the Maine State Legislature for Pleasant Point and its sister reservation, Indian Township, has joined Quoddy Bay LNG, company officials announced Thursday.
It was Moore who first introduced the Oklahoma-based company to tribal leaders at Pleasant Point. That was three years ago, after some communities in southern Maine had turned their backs on LNG.
"I was thinking about my own community and our horrific economic situation," Moore told the Bangor Daily News in March 2005. "I concluded if Pleasant Point were to host an LNG facility, Pleasant Point would become independent and quite possibly an economic power."
In April 2004, Moore approached Maine lobbyist Jim Mitchell, who knew people in the LNG industry. Mitchell introduced Moore to Quoddy LNG President Don Smith. Moore then introduced Quoddy Bay to tribal officials.
Moore’s new role in the company will be working with Smith’s son Brian, who is the project manager, to complete the development of the project.
"We are excited to have Fred working again on the project he played such a large part in starting," Don Smith said Thursday in a prepared release. "Fred put extraordinary efforts into attracting this development to the reservation three years ago, and will now assist us in the completion of this project."
While Smith and Moore have had their differences in the past, the LNG president said, "neither of us has ever doubted that LNG offers the best hope to bring economic prosperity to the Passamaquoddy. He clearly has an understanding of the intricacies of both reservations, as well as of the state government in Augusta, as a result of his public service at the Legislature. His insights will help Quoddy Bay ensure the success of one of its primary goals — to bring economic opportunity to Washington County and to its Native American residents."
The project manager said he believed Moore was a good choice for the company.
"Fred has always had the best interest of the tribe at heart and has always believed LNG development presents very strong opportunities for the tribe," Brian Smith said in a telephone interview Thursday. He also said Moore would be a good liaison between both reservations. "We are hoping that he can assist in our direct communications with the tribe in order to improve communications," he added.
Moore agreed. "I hope that I can work with both reservations to make the Quoddy Bay LNG import facility a large part of the entire Passamaquoddy Tribe," Moore said in the release. "This project started as a polite conversation in Augusta, and has blossomed into what will become an enormous part of the Washington County economy within the next couple of years."
Moore also believes that LNG is a good deal for the tribe. "It represents significant opportunities for both reservations," he added in a telephone interview Thursday.
Moore’s business relationship with Quoddy Bay LNG project changed over the past year as he sought to develop an alternative project in Calais that would be partly owned by the Indian Township Reservation. However, that project has not moved forward as quickly as Moore had hoped, the press release said. Among the problems have been leadership issues at Indian Township that have split the reservation.
Moore most recently lost by 10 votes in his bid to be governor of Pleasant Point.
Not everyone was pleased with the announcement Thursday. Linda Godfrey, spokesman for Save Passamaquoddy Bay, an opposition group, raised questions about Moore’s original connection with the Smiths, his prompt departure from the LNG company and his connection to the proposed Calais LNG project. "This is not a good move by Quoddy Bay or on Fred Moore’s part," she said.
Addressing the opposition, Moore said that he believed they should be heard. "The opposition should be heard and their concerns be incorporated into the design and plan so as to alleviate those concerns so long as they are reasonable," he said Thursday.
Contact: Diana Graettinger