Radio Healer Essay

Technology Meets Ecology:

Passamaquoddy Bay The Heartland

Liquefied Natural Gas – LNG – is being pursued today as a “transitory” or “bridge to the future” form of energy. Because of the questionable negative public and private dynamics of LNG proponents such as Quoddy Bay LLC, an Oklahoma based energy company vying for access to Passamaquoddy Bay, and the political backing given to such companies, language has come into question, and, in fact, doesn’t mean anything anymore. When it is said that LNG is an effort to “displace oil and coal”, and LNG is considered “cleaner”, not clean, by “cleaner” form of fuel, what is being lost in the public discourse is what exactly do “displace”, “transition”, “cleaner” and “bridge to the future” mean?

Lost in these forms of language are tougher questions: U.S. clean energy policy helps both the economy and protects wildlife, environment, refuge areas, but where do Native people’s lands along political borders and public safety fall within these priorities? How does importing gas reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil? What about the accumulative effect industrial overload (more than 100 ships per year are being proposed for Passamaquoddy Bay) has on complex, dynamic, and healthy ecosystems? There is clearly ample evidence that even with all the planning in the world a LNG carrier can break free from its mooring (see:Alba Island). Technology alone cannot guarantee against human error. As many fishers of Passamaquoddy Bay know firsthand, things happen much too fast with a 4-knot current. What about those armed escorts for LNG tankers by the U.S. coast guard, not to mention the dense fog effect--when spoken in typical Down East dialect goes something like this--socked in are yah?

While a regional approach to LNG terminal-siting process may soon be par for the course for considering cumulative impacts of its industry, current efforts to protect Passamaquoddy Bay and coastal lifeways from LNG, a hazardous and volatile cargo, are sorely being misrepresented. Before taking sides, explore what is really on the other side of the energy bridge – before making up your mind, fully appreciate the multidimensional character of this growing debate, be willing to learn the irrefutable facts.

In other words, the Passamaquoddy tribal community processes (however marred that they were) are not what ushered in the potential siting for LNG at Split Rock, Maine (a traditional and ceremonial gathering place). Poorly formulated environmental policy did that. I do think that until the populations most affected and left vulnerable by present-day attempts for non-renewable energy development take control of the energy cycle and consumption, take control of the divisive efforts used to promote LNG, the perception that LNG is the Passamaquoddy tribe’s internal business or is for its dissenters to quell is faulty. Many around Passamaquoddy Bay have clearly rejected the notion for LNG using basic logic – it’s simply irrational to operate hazardous facilities near any population, however remote its location. But that hasn’t stopped LNG proponents from swindling coastal people’s precious time and resources.

What’s out-and-out missing from this debate, however, is a solution to how do communities gain control over these fly-by-night-outfits that operate more on predatory instinct and less on integrity, social responsibility, ethics or even basic qualifications. Instead, entities like Quoddy Bay LLC are the ones actually allowed to control the local and national agendas: when, where, and how LNG will be proposed, even though they literally have no personal stake in the communities where LNG is being marketed.

In most business plans where safety, security, or even small likelihood of harm exists, companies engage in a “risk return analysis”, with the outcome concluding what the acceptable losses—in human life, environmental degradation, economic upheaval —are. It is obvious that the Passamaquoddy people, and our neighboring communities, who will be the ones who will be put “at risk”, with losses to our way of life, environment, economy, and future. And for what? The issue of financial rights for Passamaquoddy tribal members and their descendant’s were after all removed from the table as soon as Quoddy Bay LLC entered the scene. As discussed above, stacking the odds against rural, coastal, economically challenged, and indigenous communities is not sound environmental policy, it’s environmental racism and discrimination.

We need to put the order back into this discussion, which is not only based on international law, responsible use of technology, and good science but also depends upon social and cultural perspectives—ecology. Instead of relying on overly simplistic arguments that LNG is going to generate revenue for a municipal-based government, and thus create economic spin off benefits beyond the reservation boundaries, learn the truth. A “risk return analysis” justifies people’s dying for the business. Environmental justice principle always sets the risk to human life at zero, which is ethically right? No matter how we spin this, the only clean energy is renewable energy. No matter the point of view, the only thing spinning out of control are the developers for LNG. The longer this ad hoc approach -- led by too few and their scores of public relations companies -- is left unexamined by those whose policies have established it, the further away any effort for displacing coal and oil will be from our future.

Don’t be fooled, each time LNG efforts have surfaced in coastal communities, it hasn’t been by invitation. Quoddy Bay LLC was schemed up by a few individuals and outside companies. While a regional plan and programmatic environmental impact statements are significant objectives, every one affected by inappropriate development needs to respond with the certitude of knowing what is truly at stake. The human, social aspects of community are after all an integral part of the environment.

The proponent’s efforts to bring LNG to Split Rock is advanced through the values of material culture; it’s one sadly enough that elevates individual rights over collective rights and operates by assumptions, including that growth is good, development is good but bigger is always better, each of which erode sovereignty and undermine cultural lifeways.

Absent a powerful watch over the quality of democracy in the entire energy cycle for LNG –Nulankeyutmonen Nkitahkomikon (We Take Care of Our Land) seeks a just transition to clean renewable energy sources and responsible use of technology, which can sustain economic development practices. Without first addressing the critical needs of an entire habitat, how could anybody adequately formulate a plan to grow economy. We can each move to the front for this just transition by creating a new bridge, which realigns vision for renewable energy with socially responsible energy policies and technology.

-Vera Francis

Legal Defense Abstract

Nulankeyutomenon Nkihtahkomikumon (We Take Care of Our Land) Environmental Justice & Legal Defense Project: We are a community-based and Indigenous group focused on the protection of Passamaquoddy Bay and our cultural and ceremonial gathering grounds—Split Rock.

The Environmental Justice & Legal Defense Project is designed to ensure that the largest Native American population in all of New England are not run rough shod over their legitimate interests within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Bureau of Environmental Protection’s (BEP) processes. In order to prevent the disproportionate burden of negative impacts from being shouldered upon Passamaquoddys, critically examining the cumulative environmental impacts, as well as the real and potential health and safety impacts of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals being proposed for Passamaquoddy Bay, is essential. Equally important is making sure that the public is involved in and informed about each regulatory phase.

The unique marine and coastal ecology of Passamaquoddy Bay, the myriad of ecosystems comprising the St. Croix River and its tributaries and estuaries bring to bare not only an accessible laboratory for educational purposes but also a heritage bay straddling U.S. and Canadian political borders, an inappropriate site location for LNG terminals. Once considered one of the “most productive waters in the world”, Passamaquoddy Bay (certainly a heritage bay by any standard) is in immediate need of protection and our critical attention. The FERC/BEP processes are marked by legal complexity and expense. It is this natural and regulatory backdrop from which will serve as the launching point for the Passamaquoddy Environmental Justice Legal Defense Project’s primary objectives:

Developing an effective educational campaign designed to build capacity and ensure public participation in the FERC/BEP processes.
Maintain the momentum of the environmental justice work already underway by our organization, which includes actions taken in the federal court.

While we are well in the third year of this work and we have received help from organizations like Maine’s Sierra Club Chapter -- to date we have not received substantial long-lasting support, which could truly better position us to succeed. While Dave Bridges and I were both recently recognized for our community organizing work by Maine’s Chapter and are both very appreciative, what we really need is direct financial support for our work.

In protecting Passsmaquoddy Bay, and Split Rock (a cultural and ceremonial gathering place) from LNG, our group has been instrumental in mounting one of the most substantial coastal conservation efforts in Maine’s history. Though we have not received much monetary backing for this work, we are no less presently shouldering an enormous responsibility in barring LNG from being constructed in Maine’s heritage waters, and critical habitat.

While many more benefit from our legal effort, we have too few committed partners from Maine’s environmental leadership. While it is discouraging, we remain confident in our effort. Clearly, what are lacking are consistent funds to help us make real the defensibility of our cause –pursuing environmental justice. Take action today, donate directly to indigenous people on the front line of environmental justice and make a difference.

Thank you! Vera Francisrdinator

Click here to lend your support to: We Take Care of Our Land and make a donation at www.pledgie.com !