Share air-quality issues, experiences
To the editor,
I am a retired South Portland teacher. Having taught at James Otis Kaler School I experienced firsthand the fumes coming from the oil tanks. The tanks are in close proximity to the school and next to the playgrounds, bordering them on two sides.
At the time (a period of seven years), I didn’t really think about the fumes. However, now knowing these fumes contain carcinogens, I am very concerned about the potential harm which they may cause. At this point we do not have enough data. It is imperative that we take advantage of the best technology for monitoring and capturing (up to 95 percent) of these emissions.
Kaler has pre-kindergarten through grade 5 students. These students are among the most vulnerable of our residents. It is our job to protect them.
This is a statewide issue with tanks in Searsport, Bucksport, Hampden and soon-to-be constructed and permitted, two heated asphalt tanks in Bangor.
The state’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee is, at present, drafting a bill that will address the air quality issues created by these tanks in South Portland and other tanks around our state. If you have experiences concerning tank emissions, you can email them at ENR@legislature.maine.gov.
Louisa Beckett
South Portland
Children deserve safe, inclusive school settings
To the editor,
Recent incidents of racism in our local schools are concerning. School boards must be held accountable to swiftly investigate and enforce the zero tolerance polices they espouse and tout routinely.
There is a huge difference between claiming that we don’t tolerate racist actions and actually not tolerating such behaviors.
Schools are responsible to teach facts and that includes having robust curricula that includes the history of New England, even if the facts are uncomfortable for some. A friend gifted a book at Christmas, “Black Lives, Native Lands, White Worlds – A History of Slavery in New England” by Jared Ross Hardesty. It offers well researched facts and information on the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the oppression and cruelty perpetrated against the Wabanaki and other local Native Americans and enslaved Black people.
In our city of South Portland, as we look at hiring a new school superintendent, we need to make sure that the final candidate, in addition to the professional credentials and appropriate experience, is able to effectively and consistently lead through a racial-equity lens.
The children and youngsters in our community deserve, expect and demand schools that are safe spaces and fully inclusive of all students where they can learn, explore and grow to be productive, decent and ethical citizens.
Ravi Koil
South Portland
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