Tar Sands Rebellion in Maine Port City

Can one small port city make a difference? South Portland, home to an oil tanker facility that has long received crude from abroad, has blocked the owner from exporting tar sands crude and hopes to spur other cities to act.

2 minute read

July 25, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Portland, Maine

spirit of america / Shutterstock

The city council of South Portland (pop. 25,000) voted 6-1 on July 21 to pass the Clear Skies Ordinance [PDF] that "prohibits the bulk loading of crude oil onto marine tank vessels," said Mayor Jerry Jalbert. Susan Sharon, deputy news director of Maine Public Broadcasting, reports on the story for NPR in addition to MPBN.

Residents are concerned about air pollution, the possibility of a spill and the difficulty of cleaning up a heavier, more toxic form of crude oil, (Jalbert) says. It's that confluence of concerns that moved the council to ban tar sands.

The ordinance had widespread support from city residents. "Nearly 300 people came to the city’s community center Monday night to support the vote," writes The Hill'Timothy Cama.

The ordinance affects the operations of the Portland Montreal Pipeline Corp. that "owns and operates a tanker unloading facility, two tank farms (South Portland, Maine and Montreal, Quebec) and a system of pump stations and crude oil pipelines that traverse 236 miles along a common right-of-way from the state of Maine to Quebec," writes Sharon.

Pipeline company officials say they are evaluating their legal options. They say the ordinance restricts their ability to adapt to a changing market and to meet the energy needs of the region.

The proposed reversal of pipeline flows mirrors what's happening elsewhere as a result of the energy boom in North America due to fracking and oils sands production. Pipelines have already been reversed along the Gulf Coast between Cushing, Oka. and Houston. Costly liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals proposed to import natural gas for utilities now are being considered to export natural gas

Sharon writes in MPBN that "(e)nvironmentalists are calling passage of the ordinance historic, something that could galvanize other community activists. But the pipeline company is characterizing it as "illegal" and considering its next move."

"This ordinance, if passed, would clearly be pre-empted by federal and state law," warned Matt Manahan, an attorney for the Portland Montreal Pipe Line Corp. before the vote. "There can be no doubt about that, and it's a mistake to move forward with an illegal ordinance."

"That hasn't discouraged Dylan Voorhees, the Clean Energy and Global Warming Project director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. He says what has happened in South Portland is galvanizing activists around the country and motivating them to raise awareness about the threat of tar sands," writes Sharon.

Listen to story on NPR.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

2 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

1 hour ago - Next City

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

1 hour ago - GoodMigrations

View of cars in traffic from behind with visible tailpipe emissions

USDOT Repeals Emissions Monitoring Rule

A Biden-era regulation required states to report and plan to reduce transportation-related emissions.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive