January 27, 2021 (Augusta, ME) – President Biden today will issue a second round of executive orders focused on building a clean energy economy that works for all Americans by reducing fossil fuel pollution and investing in underserved communities. Maine’s leading environmental advocacy organization, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), applauded the Biden Administration Read More
tar sands oil
News & Noteworthy — November 2020
Read the latest news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy. November 25, 2020 Let’s start off the week with some great news stories about this year’s NRCM Conservation Leadership Award winners from their local papers: The Piscataquis Observer wrote a story Read More
South Portland’s Tar Sands Ban Upheld in a ‘David vs. Goliath’ Pipeline Battle
Citing Maine’s ‘home rule authority’ to protect public health, the small city took on Big Oil, which lined up behind a company challenging its tar sands ban. By Sabrina Shankman Inside Climate News news story A federal judge has ruled that the coastal city of South Portland, Maine, did not violate the U.S. Constitution when Read More
South Portland’s “Clear Skies” Ordinance Survives Challenge as Federal Judge Finds It Constitutional
Portland Pipe Line Corp. had sued to overturn the ordinance adopted in 2014 to prohibit the bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers on the city’s waterfront. by Randy Billings, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A federal court ruled Friday that a South Portland ordinance prohibiting bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers Read More
June Trial Set for Lawsuit Over South Portland’s “Clear Skies” Law
by Juliette Laaka The Forecaster news story SOUTH PORTLAND — The lawsuit challenging the city’s Clear Skies Ordinance is scheduled to go to trial June 18 in U.S. District Court. The City Council transferred more than half a million dollars to the ordinance defense fund Tuesday in anticipation of the trial, and approved zoning changes Read More
South Portland is Making History with Its Clear Skies Fight
It is yet another battle pitting big energy profits against the public’s right to a safe environment. by Jake A. Plante, resident of Brunswick and author of “Uncle Sam and Mother Earth: Shaping the Nation’s Environmental Path” Portland Press Herald op-ed BRUNSWICK — Sometimes history is made in our own backyard. That’s happening with South Read More
Maine Town Wins Round in Tar Sands Oil Battle With Industry
At the heart of the legal fight between South Portland and a pipeline company is the issue of ‘local control,’ and whether a community can block an energy project. By Sabrina Shankman Inside Climate News news story SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine—A federal judge has handed a win to South Portland, Maine over a pipeline company that Read More
Federal Judge Narrows Portland Pipe Line Case Against South Portland Ordinance
U.S. District Judge John Woodcock ruled against many of the company’s arguments but left open the question whether the ban on crude oil exports interferes with interstate commerce. by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A federal judge on Friday largely rejected arguments from Portland Pipe Line Company challenging the legality of Read More
Federal Judge Again Denies South Portland’s Plea to Dismiss Pipeline Company’s Lawsuit
The judge may rule next on the merits of Portland Pipe Line’s challenge to the city’s Clear Skies ordinance, which blocks the flow of Canadian crude oil to South Portland. by Kelley Bouchard, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story Judge John Woodcock Jr. opened his written order issued Tuesday with a weary-sounding reference to Read More
