Thankful for generosity

To the editor,

There are so many challenges these days that being able to talk about something good, even under bad circumstances, is a wonderful thing. I have been helping a young man from another country who is struggling. As it turns out, he bought a car where someone took advantage of him in a big way. He had no idea what to consider, so he spent all his savings to buy a car to work so he could send money home to his mother and his two children.

Someone knew he had never purchased a car in this country and took full advantage of his limited knowledge.

I was fortunate my friend, Hal Hunt, came to help. Before spending more money on the car, he sent me to Scott at Paulin’s Tire on Broadway. I did not know Scott, but he took the car the next day to check it out. On a sad note, he called to have us come see the issues.

The car requires more work than this young man can afford and consequently, he will take a huge loss on his investment, selling it for very little. The good news? Scott was amazing. He took an hour to look over the car, then put it back on the lift and had Tim, another employee, go over it with us, explaining the issues. Both were kind and compassionate.

Scott refused to charge me a penny – not for his time, not for the inspection fee, not for anything. I cannot say how grateful I was. I cried last night, thinking that someone would do the unkindness of scamming this man, but also cried with thanks to know there are good people in the world, people who still, “do the right thing.”

Thank you, Scott and Tim. Thank you Hal Hunt. Thank you Paulin’s Tire. I will be back. You are the kind of business we want in this city.

Rosemarie De Angelis

South Portland

Book details adventures of ‘Jake’

To the editor,

I’ve just read a book about a remarkable South Portlander. I believe others would really enjoy reading it.

Take the skills of a first class Maine writer (Cliff Gallant) apply them to the telling of the remarkable coast-to-coast adventures of a true one-of-a-kind South Portland Mainer (Jake Sawyer) and you have a unique and exciting new biography: “JAKE, An American Original!”

Many read parts of it previously serialized in The Bollard.

This extraordinary book reveals Jake’s complex and fascinating history: At sometime in the early-1700’s one of his ancestors operated the ferry which crossed the Fore River to and from South Portland. His father was the chairman of the South Portland Town Council at the time Jake was a student at South Portland High School. Jake attended Kents Hill School, is an honorably discharged U.S. Army paratrooper, San Quentin “graduate,” renowned body builder and the first member of the Hell’s Angels from Maine.

This two-volume book, loaded with unlikely photographs, confirms that Maine surely produces way more than the iconic lobsterman and potato farmer. Every Mainer, every lover of Maine and every lover of wild adventure will love “JAKE” and add it to their collection of Maine literature.

I purchased my copy at Nonesuch Books at Mill Creek. It’s also available from Amazon, if you must.

Bob Giuliana

South Portland

There is a way to protect health

To the editor,

Here we are in the midst of a pandemic which primarily impacts the human respiratory system. Studies have linked increased air pollution to increased vulnerability to Covid19: https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/covid-pm/files/pm_and_covid_mortality.pdf.

In South Portland we are living in close proximity to 120 oil storage tanks owned by multiple companies that are permitted to emit toxic chemicals into our air. We are not talking about small amounts of emissions. The South Portland tank farms are collectively permitted to emit over 600 million tons of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) per year.

Two of the companies (Global and Sprague) were found, when required by the EPA to do an actual measurement, to be in significant violation of the amount of toxic emissions they are allowed to emit by their state permit. Surprisingly, none of these companies are regularly required to do actual measuring of the emissions from their tanks.

They are allowed to self-report, based on estimated mathematical calculations that are susceptible to fuzzy math that can significantly underestimate the amounts emitted.

Technology exists to carry out actual measuring and monitoring of true emissions on a 24/7 continuous basis, but this is not currently required or done in South Portland or at any of the tank farms in Maine.

Technology also exists to control toxic emissions from the tanks, reducing these emissions up to 95 percent. Instead of installing emissions
control equipment, Global is proposing installing odor control equipment as part of their current required permit review.
Yes, the emissions stink, but odor control doesn’t address the underlying health impact of the multiple toxic chemicals that are permeating the air that our developing children, elderly and all community members are breathing.

The deep pockets of the oil industry have focused on profits and fought against transparency and accountability. They have invested in resisting required actual monitoring and emissions controls. It took years for the consent decrees to be settled, more years of denial and delay and more years of unmeasured and uncontrolled emissions.

The cost of utilizing technologies that would protect the health of our community should be part of the cost of doing business. Unnecessarily jeopardizing our health should not be used to increase profit margins.

Now, both Global and Sprague are required to have reviews of their permits. We call upon the Maine DEP to use their regulatory authority to require continuous actual monitoring and emissions controls now.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) exist to provide protection from the hazardous impacts of corporations on our environment & health. Senator Rebecca Millet’s bill, LD1915, passed in the last state legislative session, requires a study by the DEP of available technology to measure and control emissions from above ground oil storage tanks by the end of 2020.

Please write to the Maine DEP Commissioner, Jerry Reid at jerry.reid@maine.gov to ask the DEP to take strong action to hold the oil companies accountable with continuous 24/7 air monitoring and emissions controls.

The ways to protect our health exist, what we need is the collective will.

Roberta Zuckerman
South Portland

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