enlarge Photos by John Patriquin/Staff Photographer

During a lull in voter traffic at the Wiscasset Community Center, warden Dick Grondin feeds absentee ballots into the ballot box on Tuesday.

enlarge

Moderator Susan Blagden opens and records some of the 550 absentee ballots Tuesday at the Wiscasset Community Center. Wiscasset voters rejected ballot questions that would have given the go-ahead to a proposed gasification plant.

Question Two, which would have allowed the plant to exceed the zone's height limit and was the key ballot question in moving the plan forward, was defeated 868-707, according to Town Clerk Sandra Johnson.

The remaining three questions, which would have changed language in town zoning ordinances to facilitate the plant, were defeated by similar margins. Just over 50 percent of the town's 3,000 registered voters cast ballots.

Despite the outcome, developers of the plant said they have not given up on their plans and will consider commissioning further studies that they hope will persuade voters support the project.

Opponents said the vote demonstrates that Wiscasset does not want to host a coal gasification plant.

"I think the voters of Wiscasset have sent a loud and clear message that this was a bad project," said Willy Ritch, who formed the Back River Alliance to oppose the project.

The alliance was concerned about plant emissions polluting the environment and about the impact that coal-barge traffic would have on fishing and boating in the Sheepscot and Back rivers.

A crowd of about 75 people who gathered at the Montsweag Roadhouse -- a pub and restaurant on Route 1 in Woolwich -- broke into applause and cheers after Ritch announced the results.

Meanwhile, Scott Houldin, spokesman for the Twin River Energy Center, issued a statement Tuesday night on behalf of the developers. "The Wiscasset voters have spoken, which is what we've asked since we announced the project," the company's president, Joseph Cotter, said in the statement.

"What we continued to hear from many people throughout the past few months is that they would like to support the project but needed detailed answers to some critical questions. We understand and appreciate that, and we're committed to providing those answers as soon as possible."

Houldin characterized the vote as "close" and said it is obvious that Wiscasset residents want the economic development opportunity but need more details before giving the project the go-ahead.

"I think this vote sends a very strong message," countered Steve Hinchman of the Conservation Law Foundation, an opponent of the project.

"This company promised to put $2,000 in every taxpayer's pocket, and they still voted against it," he said.

Houldin said the plant would provide Wiscasset with enough tax revenue to account for just over 80 percent of its tax base.

Houldin said the project would create 200 full-time jobs.

More than 700 workers would be needed during construction.

In July, National RE/sources, a Greenwich, Conn.-based development company, proposed construction of the plant, which could convert coal and wood biomass into a gas that would be burned to power a 700-megawatt generator. Coal would be shipped by barge or brought by rail.

The plant, as proposed, would be 230 feet tall -- 170 feet taller than the zone's 60-foot height limit. Twin River needed the town's permission to exceed the height limit.

Houldin has said the facility cannot be shorter than 230 feet or the project would have to be withdrawn.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be reached at 725-8795 or at

dhoey@pressherald.com