A new campaign in South Portland wants a Canadian oil company to remove old, mostly empty holding tanks from a residential area.
And supporters are imagining the possibilities for sprawling real estate the tanks occupy in the heart of the city.
"Toss The Tanks" wants to persuade Suncor Energy that their Hill Street tank farm isn’t a good fit for the city.
"Suncor has to understand that the community does not want them here any longer," said organizer Tim Honey during a recent community forum.
Almost 20 tanks sit on about 100 acres bordered by schools and homes. Some of the tanks date back to the Second World War, and they have prompted concerns about health and environmental safety.
The tanks are mostly empty, but are designed to hold crude oil shipped to Canada through the pipeline — not for U.S. consumers, according to Honey.
"We need to be concerned about safety for the neighborhoods and the whole city because one explosion, one fire could be disastrous for all of us," Honey said.
Suncor owns the tanks through a subsidiary called Portland Pipe Line Co.
Campaigners want the company to dismantle the tanks and remediate the property. Then, it can sell the parcel to private developers, Honey said.
At least 100 people attended a community forum on the campaign this week. During a session to imagine what the land could be used for instead, residents said they'd like to see housing, green space and other amenities.
