http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=a 2263acd-31a3-4aff-9346-5c8eadd5ee50 Rabaska promoters to unveil plans today Scheme to bring super-cooled natural gas by tanker into province faces determined local opposition NICOLAS VAN PRAET The Gazette, January 25, 2005 Three commercial partners in a $2.8-billion project to bring super-cooled natural gas by tanker into Quebec will put their sales pitch into high gear today and gird for a protracted battle with local residents who oppose the plan. Energy giants Enbridge Inc., Gaz de France and Gaz Metro will unveil the details of their liquefied natural gas project, called Rabaska, including its exact site on Quebec City's South Shore. They'll also mount a sweeping defence of the plan, explaining its economic spinoffs and security provisions. The partners are determined to push forward with Rabaska. They've said it would cost $700 million to build a terminal to unload the gas. "It's possible to do this safely in an urban area without any major impact," said project spokesperson Simon Poitras. But the project's detractors say they can't believe the companies are driving ahead with Rabaska given the opposition it has generated. Elected officials in Levis, the likely site for the terminal, voted against the project. Residents of Beaumont, another possible site, also rejected Rabaska in a referendum. A community on Ile d'Orleans across the river also voiced its opposition. "This is a flagrant lack of respect for the local population," said Yves St-Laurent, head of Coalition Rabat-Joie, a citizens group that opposes the plan chiefly because of its alleged potential for a fire or explosion. "The promoters want to profit from the fact that we're a little corner of the province that has a small population and not much political power. But we will fight it tooth and nail." The commercial partners had argued that residents and councillors voted prematurely against the project, before its details were finalized. The government of Jean Charest has said Quebec needs the project. Rabaska would pump out 500 million cubic feet of gas per day beginning in late 2008 or early 2009. nvanpraet@thegazette.canwest.com -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.7.3 - Release Date: 1/24/2005
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>