At Debate, King and Dill Reject Tar Sands Pipeline Through Maine

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Environment Maine

Portland, Maine—E2 Tech held a debate this morning for Maine’s U.S. Senate Candidates at the University of Southern Maine’s Hannaford Hall in Portland. Environment Maine Director Emily Figdor released the following statement in response:

“The highlight was Angus King and Cynthia Dill both describing how reckless it would be to bring hot, corrosive tar sands oil through an old oil pipeline that passes right next to Sebago Lake. A tar sands oil spill in Sebago Lake, like the spill two years ago in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River, would be devastating. Sebago Lake should remain pristine and be a place where families can continue to go for generations to come.

“We also were very pleased that Gov. King rightly criticized nuclear power as expensive and heavily subsidized and noted that we have no solution for disposing of the highly toxic waste, such as the waste sitting in Wiscasset.

“But we were disappointed that Gov. King glossed over the very serious impacts of ‘hydrofracking’ on human health and environment. Families living in the shadow of gas drilling in Pennsylvania and elsewhere face explosions mere feet from their doorsteps, polluted tap water that is unsafe to drink, toxic fumes in the air they breathe, and more. Maine’s future should be in clean, renewable energy, not another fossil fuel that pollutes our air, harms our health, and fuels global warming.

“Finally, it’s frankly embarrassing that a major party candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maine rejects the scientific consensus that pollution is fueling global warming.”