Every once in a while there is a light at the end of the murky political tunnel. These days with all the dysfunction in Washington it is refreshing and encouraging to see our very own City Council work together for the good of our fair town.

The recent vote to have a moratorium on tar sands and then following up by choosing a very qualified group of people to write the ordinance gives me great hope for the future of our city and I encourage all parties involved to move forward with the process in a timely manner. Time is of the essence. Though Portland Pipeline/Exxon Mobil claim to have no interest in bringing tar sands to South Portland we have evidence that this is untrue.

It is clear that the council understands the threat of tar sands to our health and overall commerce, including real estate values, tourism, fishing. The plan of the ordinance is not to stop business as usual on the working waterfront, on the contrary the Waterfront Protection Ordinance will protect the working waterfront by keeping our water and air clean. It is simply to keep tar sands out. Nothing more.

Tar sands are not like other crude oil that floats on the surface of the water, tar sands sink and cannot be cleaned up. If there were a tar-sands spill of any kind the water supply (drinking water) for the whole county would be in danger.

Imagine that.

So thank you councilors for looking after the health and well-being of the citizens of South Portland and not buckling to the pressure from big oil who have only the well-being of their pocketbooks in mind.

Nancy Wallerstein

South Portland