“Why oil?"’Asks Opponents of Searsport Refinery Plans
By Joe Brooks BDN State Desk
DEER ISLE — The writing was on the wall.
Thumbtacked to the front wall of the crowded auditorium‘ at
Deer Isle Elementary School was a placard that summed up
the feelings of most of the nearly 300 people at the meeting.
The huge sign asked: “Why Oil?"
Tuesday night’s open discussion, sponsored by the Stoning-
ton and Deer Isle PlanningBoards, was designed to air the
proposal for an oil desulphurization plant and related industrial
park on Sears Island, across Penobscot Bay from this island
community.
Ossie Beal, head of the Maine Lobstermen's Association,
voiced the sentiments of many in the audience when he said:
“They are just searching all along our coast, trying to find
someone stupid enough to let them build a refinery there.”
Beal, who has been closely involved with similar plans to
build a refinery at Machiasport, several times went on record as
head of the fishermen’s association in opposition to any oil in-
dustry plans‘ for the Maine coast.
Beal also referred to a trip he made, along with several other
Machias area people, to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands a
year ago to inspect “what was supposed to be a clean, modern
refinery.”
He told the audience of finding seaweed near St. Croix sat-
urated with what appeared to be industrial grade oil. Beal al-
so mentioned that a large oil spill occurred just one day after
his group returned to Maine.
During his talk, the lobstermen's association president re-
counted a number of oil spills in many areas of Maine in recent
years.
Based on the current average number of oil spills in Maine,
Beal predicted that the proposed Sears Island facility would
“spill enough oil to cause devastation along 70 miles of our
coast.”
In concluding his remarks, Beal asked the audience: “Why
should we jeopardize our (fishermen’s) livelihood for Ashland
(Continued On Page 2, Col. 8)
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