Premier, Governor Tour Gas Plant

Premier Russell MacLellan and Gov. Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts spent this afternoon touring the Goldboro natural gas plant in eastern Nova Scotia.

The plant is the key land-based operation for the $3-billion Sable Offshore Energy Project, which is expected to be delivering natural gas to Massachusetts and other New England destinations before the end of the year.

The premier and governor, accompanied by an international delegation of administrative, industry and diplomatic representatives, flew into the Nova Scotia settlement of Goldboro to examine firsthand the progress being made with the project infrastructure.

Premier MacLellan said he was delighted Gov. Cellucci was able to tour the site and speak with industry officials and workers building the plant.

"When I met with the governor last month in Boston, he expressed a great interest in the project and its progress," said Premier MacLellan. "So I invited him to visit the Goldboro site as part of his official visit this week, and where he could see that the development is on track to initially deliver 500 million cubic feet of natural gas daily to markets in the Maritimes and New England."

The premier said the project introduced a whole new industry for Nova Scotia. "Last month alone, about 44 per cent of all project spending was in Nova Scotia, contributing about $1 million a day to the provincial economy."

Gov. Cellucci is in Halifax to participate in the Nova Scotia Summit, a top-level economic conference that features business, public policy and academic representatives from Massachusetts and Nova Scotia. It is being held at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.