The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (MBEP) is scheduled to vote Thursday on a motion to end Calais LNG’s effort to build a $1 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, import facility and pipeline project in Calais, ME.

If approved, the order, which was drafted by MBEP Chair Susan Lessard, would return to Calais LNG its applications for air emission, site location, natural resources protection, waste discharge and water quality certification “without prejudice.”

Calais LNG has asked the MBEP to delay until Jan. 15 the processing of the applications to allow additional time for the company to secure land proposed for development and to address other issues associated with the proposed project.

A public hearing had been scheduled in July, but MBEP put the project on hold at Calais LNG’s request. Since then, “Calais LNG has lost title, right or interest in a significant portion of the property proposed for development and has failed to resolve financing issues such that its applications are now devoid of any demonstration of financial capacity,” according to Lessard’s draft order. In addition, Calais LNG “has not addressed the technical issues which were the basis for the first time extension request in July.”

Calais LNG announced in July that a key financial backer, GS Power Holdings LLC, had pulled out of the project (see Daily GPI, Sept. 24).

The proposal seeks to site the import terminal on the St. Croix River in Calais, ME. The terminal would have three storage tanks and the capacity to deliver 1 Bcf/d of revaporized LNG to the 20-mile, 36-inch diameter Calais Pipeline, which would interconnect with Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline in Princeton, ME.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week indicated that it may cease processing Calais LNG’s proposal (see Daily GPI, Dec. 7).

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