Small Town Declares All-Out Offensive Against Tar Sands Port

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Despite threats of legal action, South Portland, Maine vows to continue their fight against Big Oil in pipeline fight

Following Big Oil's narrow victory over a grassroots initiative designed to block the construction of a tar sands export terminal, residents of South Portland, Maine are attempting to overrule that vote with a bid to outlaw the flow and processing of tar sands within city borders.

On Wednesday evening, members of the South Portland City Council voted unanimously to create a Draft Ordinance Committee with the explicit purpose of creating a new land-use rule to "prevent the flow and processing of unrefined tar sands in South Portland,” local media reports.

“It’s very pleasing to see all of us this evening take a stand that we do not want tar sands in our community and that we will not let it happen,” said Councilor Tom Blake.

Formal votes to make appointments to the committee and establish a working budget won't take place until the council’s Jan. 6 meeting. In the meantime, however, the city will vote on Dec. 16 to adopt a moratorium on any construction that would enable the transport of tar sands via the South Portland harbor.

The moratorium is expected to pass "handily."

Earlier this month, in response to news of the pending moratorium, a letter drafted by a lawyer with the American Petroleum Institute (API) to members of the city council threatened the moratorium “would have strong legal challenges” if passed. It claims the ruling would be an unconstitutional attempt to regulate interstate commerce.

from: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/12/16-6

[djean111]

1. "It claims the ruling would be an unconstitutional attempt to regulate interstate commerce."

TPP-type stuff - coming to your neighborhood!
No community will be allowed to say no to anything that harms the environment, because they will be hampering profits.

[kristopher]

2. Off to the greatest with ye.

[bvar22]

3. I hope this succeeds.

If it does, it will set a precedent that other communities might be able to use to block the Tar Sands Pipelines, like the Keystone Monstrosity,
or any other Corporate Steam Rollers.
...maybe ever fracking.

I had given up hope that the pendulum would swing back in favor of small communities and consumers vs Giant Corporations.
This could be an effective weapon,
but I'm probably grasping at straws here.

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Hope realized - South Portland Council approves moratorium on tar sands

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South Portland Council approves moratorium on tar sands


By Whit Richardson, BDN Staff

Posted Dec. 17, 2013, at 7:29 a.m.
Last modified Dec. 17, 2013, at 9:19 a.m.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/12/17/politics/south-portland-council-passes-tar-sands-moratorium/?ref=relatedBox

The council voted 6-1 to approve the moratorium, which is retroactive and is now considered to have been in place since Nov. 6. City Councilor Michael Pock was the sole opposing vote, arguing that the moratorium is unfair to the oil industry, according to The Forecaster.

The moratorium, which will be in place until May 5, will give a council-appointed, three-member committee time to draft an ordinance that permanently bans the Portland Pipe Line Corp. from bringing tar sands from Montreal into South Portland along its 236-mile pipeline. The city is expected to vote on the ordinance in early May.

/snip/

“Never before has a U.S. community taken action that comes so close to stopping a trans-national tar sands pipeline. It’s a testament to what we can accomplish when citizens come together, even in the face of the oil industry’s deep pockets and enormous political influence.”

The vote came after just less than two hours of public comment, largely in favor of passing the moratorium, according to The Forecaster.

/snip/
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Oh, I know - the fight ain't over, but it is sure refreshing to see

POLITICIAN WITH BALLS!

Another thing to consider is the age of the pipeline, and the higher toxicity of the tar sands shit (yeah, I know - OUR shit!).

And reversing flow has all sorts of problems, including disturbing buildup/residue from over half a century of usage.

It's too bad that a community has to FIGHT to prevent Big Business from ruining their environment.

And many times, they gotta fight their own State/Provincial/Federal governments.

Something wrong there . . .

CC

ps: @ Michael Pock - give ur head a shake! - "unfair to the oil industry" - yeah right . . . .