Recently, South Portland City Councilor Michael Pock suggested that we have no way of knowing how voters would have voted if an ordinance could have been written that was specific to tar sand oil. However, I, along with other Protect South Portland volunteers, collected signatures from 216 South Portland businesses, to a letter specific to tar sands oil, and tar sands oil only.

All 216 stated clearly that they did not want tar sand oil to come to their community. When Protect South Portland canvassers spoke with residents, some stated that they were confused or concerned about the wording of the Waterfront Protection Ordinance, but in every case they stated, that under no condition did they want tar sands coming to South Portland. So now we have clarity, we’re down to the basics – tar sand oil. We could find no one in the general public who wants the world’s dirtiest oil coming to our community.

Barry Zuckerman

South Portland