Stay The FRACK Out Of Our State

There has been talk for decades now that Maine is in need of an east/west highway.  As it stands now the only highways in Maine run north & south, with Interstate 95 being the major route.  The east/west corridor would connect the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec with a single highway.  In our opinion the real benefit of this highway is for our neighbors to the north, the Canadians, but not as much for Mainers.

The current talk is that the highway will be privately funded, and paid for with tolls. If you are from the woods you know that you don't pay tolls past Augusta, where the "real" Maine begins.  Peter Vigue the CEO of Cainbro has been the appointed the go-to man for this highway.  The state has approved a $300k  economic feasibility study, which as of right now the tax payers are paying for, but if the highway is built will be repaid by the contractor who builds the highway.  The question here is how the state has the $300k to initially do this study, yet the governor would like to cut all funding to MPBN, and has talked about schools not having enough money to finish the year and LePage gutting funds if you cross him.

Let's talk about environmental and property issues.  Is this land that is going to be used going to fall under the eminent domain?   A private venture should not be able to fall under this provision.  We envision the governor doing everything in his power to help this highway get constructed which would include using the power of eminent domain to snatch the land from it's owner's for pennies.  Environmentally what is going to be the bulk of traffic on this highway?  It's going to be 18 wheelers hauling LNG fuel from the fracking fields of New Brunswick and Quebec. Stay the FRACK out of our state.

The potential of this highway to damage the Maine economy is real.  Sure it will provide jobs, but those jobs are not permanent.  The lumber mills in Quebec will no longer rely on Maine lumber as it will be able to get lumber from New Brunswick much easier than it is able to now. Border crossings will need to be upgraded to handle the influx of trailer trucks using these crossings. 

If Maine is the way life should be, why are they trying to gut up our lands and give access to LNG fuel truck full o' FRACK?!