"Maine Town Wins Round in Tar Sands Oil Battle With Industry"

"At the heart of the legal fight between South Portland and a pipeline company is the issue of 'local control,' and whether a community can block an energy project. "

"SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A federal judge has handed a win to South Portland, Maine over a pipeline company that wants to send tar sands oil through the city, a proposal seen as opening a path for Canada's crude to reach the East Coast for export.  

But the fight is not over. A federal district court judge dismissed on Dec. 29 all but one of the company's claims against the city. The ruling still leaves open a key question: whether the city is violating the U.S. Constitution by blocking the project.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the question of local control and what—if anything—a community can do to block an unwanted energy project."

Sabrina Shankman reports for InsideClimate News January 5, 2018.