Protect South Portland Applauds South Portland City Council for Defense of Clear Skies Ordinance

Environment Maine

For immediate release: Friday, February 12th, 2016

Contact: MJ Ferrier, Protect South Portland, 207-450-4916

Sean Mahoney, Conservation Law Foundation, 207-671-0845

Laura Dorle, Environment Maine, 207-245-0394

Protect South Portland Applauds South Portland City Council for Defense of Clear Skies Ordinance

South Portland–Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for Maine denied the City of South Portland’s Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit brought by the oil industry against the city’s landmark Clear Skies Ordinance, which was passed 6-1 by the City Council at the end of July 2014 with enormous public support from the citizens of South Portland.

“We were all moved by the way our community came together to stand up against the health risks of tar sands coming into our community. Thousands of South Portland residents stood together in support of the Clear Skies Ordinance, and now we stand united behind the City Council as it defends the will of the people. We have absolute confidence in the city’s legal defense team and that the right of the people of South Portland to protect their community and the health of its citizens will be upheld,” said MJ Ferrier, spokesperson for Protect South Portland. 

Sean Mahoney, Executive Vice-President of the Conservation Law Foundation, voiced his confidence in the legality of the Clear Skies Ordinance.  “Over the last three years, the City of South Portland engaged in a thoughtful, transparent and exhaustive process in exercising its authority to protect the health and well-being of its citizens,” said Sean Mahoney, . “The Clear Skies Ordinance was a rational and appropriate response to a proposed industrial activity that had no precedent whatsoever in the city and that would have posed serious health risks to nearby residents.  While we continue to believe that the cost of this lawsuit is unnecessary in light of the lack of any plans to export oil from PMPL’s facility, we are confident that when the Court addresses the merits of the litigation it will uphold the Clear Skies Ordinance.”

Judge Woodcock’s decision will result in the case moving forward in court. A hearing has not yet been set at this time.

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