The $9 million bulk conveyor system at the Port of Eastport that was completed three years ago will finally have its baptism by fire not with wood chips but with salt. New England Salt Company, based in Winterport, plans to import its first shipment of 35,000 metric tons of rock salt from Morocco through the Estes Head terminal the first week of July.
     According to William Massow, the company's vice president of operations, New England Salt is expecting to import 40,000 to 50,000 tons on two or three shipments a year through the port, with the salt coming from both Morocco and Peru. The rock salt will be used on roads in eastern and northern Maine during the winter months, but the company has received inquiries about supplying salt into New Brunswick, since the PotashCorp, which has been supplying the road salt in the province, is closing its Picadilly Mine near Sussex this spring. The provincial government purchases about 140,000 tons of road salt annually, with all of it coming from the Picadilly mine.
     New England Salt has been importing salt through the port of Searsport and will continue to do so, but bringing salt in through Eastport will lower the trucking costs into eastern and northern Maine and provide for the possibility of shipping into nearby New Brunswick, too. "We're looking to expand this year," says Massow. The company imported 90,000 tons through Searsport this past year, storing it at an eight-acre pad that the company leases from Maine Materials.
     "We're very happy to see this business come to Eastport," says Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority. "We can finally see the investment we put out in place out there come to use." He notes that the first shipment will be the beginning of more to come, not only with salt but with wood chips. Although the export of wood chips to overseas markets has been the port authority's focus and a deal is reportedly close at hand, Gardner notes that the port authority has been marketing the conveyor system for other uses for some time.
     New England Salt will be leasing space at the Port of Eastport's bulk storage yard from Costigan Chip LLC. At its March 29 meeting, the port authority board approved a new three-year lease between the port authority and Costigan Chip for use of the bulk storage yard at the port terminal. The board also approved a motion to allow Costigan Chip to sublease a portion of the storage pad to New England Salt.

Other action
     In other action at the March 29 meeting, the board, following an executive session, approved by a 5-2 vote giving Gardner a $30,000 bonus for 2015. Board members Elaine Abbott and Hollis Ferguson were opposed. The previous year's bonus was for $16,000, and the year before that he received $45,000. His salary will remain at $84,000. He also receives $27,057 in health insurance coverage.
     Gardner told the board that he had attended the SeaTrade Cruise Global convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and he, along with Chris Brown, who heads the port authority's cruise ship operations on a volunteer basis, spoke with representatives from American Cruise Lines, Azamara Club Cruises and The World, all of which are interested in coming back to Eastport once the breakwater work is completed. They also explored how Eastport could play a role as clearance port for larger cruise ships entering the U.S. and how a shuttle could be established between Eastport and Campobello to tie in with the Welshpool Landing project and Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Gardner pointed to how much time Chris Brown donates to the port authority in working on developing the cruise ship visits.
     Gardner reported on several frustrating situations. The port authority received a preliminary estimate from Federal Program Integrators on the cost for altering the construction on the new road to the port terminal to allow for the installation of truck scales. With the estimate of just over $400,000 being nearly a quarter of the $1.7 million total project cost for the new road and the County Road work, the port authority and the Maine Department of Transportation will be working on possible alternative options. The board authorized Gardner to place out to bid that portion of the project for the installation of the scales.
     Gardner also reported that although last month he had announced that a lease had been signed with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to occupy an office in the port authority building, GSA has not begun making rent payments, since the government wants more changes made, including wire mesh embedded in all of the walls, a security system and a five-foot window in a 40" space. GSA inspection teams, though, had previously accepted the space twice since 2014, with the changes that they had wanted all being accomplished. "They should pay for any changes after the agreement was signed," said a frustrated Gardner, adding that he will inform the GSA that the port authority is not interested in renting the space to the government unless they change their demands.
     Repairs to the largest of the three generators that the port authority purchased to supply power for the conveyor system and shiploader at the port could cost up to $5,000. However, since the generator was acquired for $2,200 and is worth $30,000, Gardner felt the unit was a good investment.
     Gardner spoke with the board about continuing concerns expressed by a local resident about safety issues at the fish pier. Since the possibility of a lawsuit was implied, board members discussed options, although Gardner said he had no concerns about the port authority's liability in being negligent. The board then decided to erect a sign stating that the fish pier is a commercial pier and one should pass at one's own risk and also to contact the port authority's insurance company to see if such a sign would be sufficient to cover the port authority's liability. A motion to have a sign state that only commercial fishermen and authorized port personnel could enter a restricted section of the fish pier was not seconded, as board members felt there should be public access allowed on the pier.