Port Edward chief administrative officer Bob Payette and Coun. Grant Moore were thoroughly impressed with a two-week tour that Petronas gave the two earlier in April, and Moore's official findings are to be released in a document later this month.
At the April 14 District of Port Edward council meeting, Moore and Payette offered their findings of a structured tour of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Southeast Asian country, a tour which the company didn't necessarily need to give considering Pacific Northwest LNG and the District have already reached a 25-year property tax agreement in-principle for support of town infrastructure and services.
"They didn't need to try and butter us up [considering the agreement is done]," said Moore during the meeting.
"They brought us over to see first-hand how a facility is run ... the professionalism, the safety aspects [are top-notch]. The first thing you see when you get there is they have a giant billboard of their safety record. It was 2,000-some days since their last accident and we're talking thousands of employees."
While the group couldn't take pictures of their own during the tour, there was an official photographer for the group. Moore hopes to acquire some of the photos for his report, which he says "started out to be half-a-page, but is now looking to be more like two or three pages".
Moore stated that the impact of the facility's ships' in shallower areas are minimal.
"We got to go to the harbour tour; they brought us into the shallow water to see what kind of wake it kicks up and it's hardly any," he said.
Among other topics discussed before the meeting was adjourned was Mayor Dave MacDonald's address that council need to go through proper protocol to allow for a question-and-answer formatted session at each meeting and cannot proceed with permitting one until the requirements are met. He added that the council will be adding this feature to their sessions soon.
As well, council has called out for members of Port Edward who would like a say in how the 50th birthday should commence to apply for a spot on the 50th birthday committee. Council has sent out a request for applicants through their newsletter.