Sierra Club Announces Opposition to Massive Pipeline Proposal

For Immediate Release:                                                                           

Monday, December 22, 2014        

 Contact: Nancy Shiffler 734-971-1157

 David Holtz 313-300-4454

Sierra Club Announces Opposition to Massive Pipeline Proposal
Unneeded ET Rover Project Would Disrupt Communities, Threaten Environment

LANSING—Sierra Club today announced its opposition to a controversial massive proposed natural gas pipeline through portions of lower Michigan, calling the proposed ET Rover pipeline a project with no proven public benefit that will disrupt communities and promote climate-threatening greenhouse gas emissions.

The Club’s opposition came in the form of official comments submitted by the organization to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“Michigan already has extensive capacity in terms of pipelines and storage capacity and we don’t need this massive and disruptive pipeline project that is bad for the environment, bad for communities and will make us more dependent on fossil fuels,” said Nancy Shiffler, Chair of the Michigan club’s Beyond Natural Gas and Oil Committee.

The massive Rover pipeline proposed by Energy Transfer (ET) is one of three natural gas pipelines currently proposing to bring natural gas through Ohio and Michigan and into Ontario.  FERC accepted public input in the first phase of environmental review required under federal law as part of a permitting process for the proposed ET Rover pipeline.  Sierra Club’s scoping comments cite critical environmental, social and economic issues that must be considered.  They also called on FERC to thoroughly consider alternatives such as energy conservation and renewable energy that would better serve the public interest and the environment. 

“There’s no good reason for this proposed pipeline and every reason to reject it and instead focus on providing Michigan with clean, renewable energy,” said David Holtz, Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter Chair.  “We agree with the hundreds of Michigan residents who have shown up at town hall meetings in Genesee, Oakland, Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Macomb counties to voice their concerns and opposition to this proposed pipeline.”

Sierra Club’s comment letter told FERC that the ET Rover pipeline “is part of an attempt by the natural gas industry to find a market for its over production in the Marcellus play in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, in particular to expand exports.  There is no demonstrated need for additional natural gas capacity in Michigan or in the region in general, while the impact on the safety, economic value, and environmental health of local property owners and communities would be considerable.”

The four-page comment letter spells out local, statewide, international and global environmental effects that must be considered, ranging from impacts on fisheries in the St. Clair River to the substantial impact of increased fracking in the Marcellus shale formations.  In addition, Sierra Club points out that in 2013 that FERC and ET agreed there was no need for additional natural gas pipeline capacity for Michigan when ET sought and received permission to abandon its Trunkline pipeline which brought natural gas into Michigan’s southwestern corner.

The four public input sessions held by FERC in Michigan drew hundreds of people, many raising concerns about the pipeline's impact on local wetlands, woodlands, farmlands, and public safety.  Sierra Club’s Southeast Michigan Group, Nepessing Group, Crossroads Group and Huron Valley Group are spearheading the response to this and the other pipeline proposals.  Volunteer leaders in these four regional Sierra Club groups are working closely with local officials and organizations to educate the public about the threats these proposals pose and the rights landowners and communities in the proposed path have to influence decisions around this and other proposed natural gas pipelines.

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Daniel T. Kildee, who represents the Flint area, wrote FERC to say he opposed the proposed ET Rover pipeline.

Sierra Club is the nation’s largest and oldest grassroots environmental organization, with more than 60,000 members and supporters in Michigan. 

More information about the Sierra Club’s position on the ET Rover proposed natural gas pipeline can be found here. A full copy of the Sierra Club's comment letter is available here.

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Sierra Club Calls for Federal, State Action In Wake of New Enbridge Pipeline Leak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 More information:  David Holtz - 313-300-4454
Tuesday, December 16, 2014              

Sierra Club Calls for Federal, State Action In Wake of New Enbridge Pipeline Leak

Statement of Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Chair David Holtz on Today's Enbridge Pipeline Leak Disclosure

“The announcement today that a “pinhole leak” was found in the Enbridge Line 5 in the Upper Peninsula underscores the urgency of federal and state agencies scrutinizing potential environmental threats posed by this sixty year old pipeline as it crosses our public lands.   Enbridge Line 5 carries oil products from Michigan’s border with Wisconsin to Ontario, crossing under state and national public lands as well as inland rivers, the St. Clair River and the Straits of Mackinac.  However, there has never been an environmental review under state or federal laws about the impact a spill or break would pose to our air, land and water.

“In Michigan, where the largest inland oil spill ever occurred when Enbridge Line 6B contaminated Marshall and the Kalamazoo River, we know that industry assurances that these pipelines are perfectly safe are meaningless without rigorous, scientific review of the environmental effects.  This small leak is a wake-up call that demands immediate action by our federal and state land management and environmental agencies to publicly disclose the full extent of potential environmental threats posed by this pipeline, and open a long overdue public debate about whether the threat to our state’s waters and land are too great a risk to take."

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David Holtz
david@davidholtz.org
313-300-4454

NEWS: Sierra Club Endorses McKenzie in Michigan 11th

For Immediate Release,
October 13, 2014

Contact:
Mike Berkowitz
248-345-9808
Mike.berkowitz@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club Endorses McKenzie in Michigan 11^th
Cites Commitment to Public Transportation, Clean Energy and R&D

Livonia, MI – Today, Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter announced their endorsement of Bobby McKenzie in the race for the 11^th Congressional District. The district includes a large portion of the Detroit metropolitan area including Rochester Hills, Farmington and Livonia. McKenzie is running against David Trott, former partner at Enbridge Energy Partners. Enbridge is responsible for the July 2010 tar sands oil spill that dumped a million gallons of oil along 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries, the largest inland oil spill in American history. 

In response to today’s announcement Anne Woiwode, Director of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:

“Bobby McKenzie will be a key voice in the fight to protect Michigan’s great natural heritage. Bobby will be a leader in working to transform critical transportation options in some of Michigan’s hardest hit cities, work that isn’t just great for the environment, but will also go a long way to giving the Detroit region an economic jump start.

Voters have a stark decision to make in the November election: On the one hand, a candidate who sided with the banks during the financial crisis, a candidate who worked with Enbridge,  the company responsible for the largest inland oil spill in American history. While on the other; voters can choose a candidate who has pledged to work for our communities and not the banks that held us hostage, to strengthen the economy not give a free pass to predatory industries, and to create a clean, safe environment that all Michiganders can enjoy.

Bobby is the clear choice to be the next Congressperson for Southeastern Michigan.  His commitment to strong environmental protections, rolling back decades of industrial pollution and support of increased investment in research and development are clear signs he’s ready to lead Michigan towards forward thinking 21^st Century solutions to our energy, economic and environmental challenges.”

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NEWS: Michigan Sierra Club Launches Online Political Advertising Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2014

CONTACT:

Mike Berkowitz

248-345-9808

mike.berkowitz@sierraclub.org

Michigan Sierra Club Launches Online Political Advertising Campaign

Nation’s Largest Grassroots Conservation Organization to target Gubernatorial and State Legislative races

LANSING, MI  - Today, the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club launched an online political advertising campaign in support of Mark Schauer and ten candidates for the Michigan Legislature.  The campaign includes a video featuring Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Director Anne Woiwode and Schauer, who is endorsed by the Sierra Club.

The ads also target ten state legislative districts supporting David Haener (House District 23), Sandy Colvin (House District 39), Annie Brown (House District 66), Theresa Abed (House District 71), Winnie Brinks (House District 76), Annie Braidwood (House District 85), Collene Lamonte (House District 91), Bryan Mielke (House District 99), Tom Stobie (House District 101) and Dian Slavens (Senate District 7).

“We are using online capabilities to reach Sierra Club and other environmental supporters with a message letting them know which candidates support protecting our Great Lakes system and which do not,” said Mike Berkowitz, Political Director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “By linking ads to our legislative scorecard, voter guide, and endorsed candidate websites, voters will be able to access information letting them know where candidates stand on issues important to Michigan’s future.”

To see a full list of the Michigan Sierra Club’s endorsements, click here.

About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.

Paid for by Michigan Sierra PAC (109 E. Grand River Ave. Lansing, MI 48906)

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What Gives You More Bang for Your Grocery Buck?

New Documentary Short Shows Healthy, Local Food is the Real Bargain in Michigan

Sept. 29, 2014  Media Contact: Gail Philbin, 312-493-2384, gail.philbin@sierraclub.org

Lansing, Mich.— A new documentary short released today by the Less=More sustainable agriculture coalition demonstrates how the purchase of food from local Michigan farmers who use healthy, sustainable practices has a greater benefit to local economies, the environment and public health than products from the conventional industrial agriculture system.

Local, Healthy Food: The Real Bargain, a nine-minute short directed by Traverse City resident Kirk Rasmussen, explores the economic, environmental and health effects of consumer shopping choices through interviews with farmers, academic researchers and other experts in Michigan. The film is available online at http://tinyurl.com/TheRealBargain.

“Say a dollar is spent in a certain community, 73 cents on that dollar stays in that community, as opposed to spending money at a non-locally owned business -- only 42 cents on a dollar stays in the community,” explains Hanna Schulze, program and events coordinator at Local First in Grand Rapids, a non-profit that supports local, sustainable economies. That translates to local jobs created, money circulated and more local investment, she says.

Jill Johnson of Crane Dance Farm, a Middleville livestock farmer interviewed in the film, proves Schulze’s point. “We try to buy everything we can as locally as possible because, just like our customers want to buy food from us because they know us and trust us, we buy things from people we know and we trust. All of our grain comes from farmers that grew it that we know.”

Schulze notes that consumers are accustomed to thinking food should be inexpensive because of its wide availability and a lack of understanding about what makes it is so cheap.

“Why should I spend $9/pound on ground beef when I can go to XYZ store and get it for $2/pound. We’re not asking ourselves why is it $2/pound,” she says.

Local, Healthy Food: The Real Bargain answers Schulze’s question—economies of scale give industrial agriculture and especially large-scale animal facilities known as factory farms a huge advantage over small-scale, local producers using earth-friendly farming practices. In addition, mega “farms” that confine livestock in warehouses often for their entire lives or in crowded, open feedlots get substantial taxpayer subsidies--often for handling animal waste-- their sustainable counterparts don’t receive. A 2013 report issued by Less=More offered evidence that even when poor disposal practices of the millions of gallons of chemical- and contaminant-filled wastes Michigan factory farms generate lead to pollution of water, land and air, and violations of state and federal environmental laws, they still receive taxpayer support.

Less=More defines sustainable agriculture as a system that emphasizes stewardship of natural and human resources and grounded in the principle that we must meet our present food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Sustainable agriculture protects and improves the soil, conserves native biodiversity and habitats, and provides viable farm livelihoods as a consequence of food production. Sustainable farms are appropriate for the landscape and the local economy and produce safe, healthy food, treat workers with respect and animals humanely, and sustain communities.

In Local, Healthy Food: The Real Bargain, Catherine Badgley, a University of Michigan assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, points out that buying local, sustainable food is a growing movement in Michigan. “But it’s more expensive than the cheaply grown food produced by industrial food system. When you think about all the different things that [buying local is] supporting—you’re supporting the local economy, environmental quality, better health for us, higher animal welfare, it’s really a bargain.”

The film’s director, Kirk Rasmussen, is a student in Grand Valley State University’s film program, who served as an intern last summer for the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, which is a member of Less=More. He says he learned a great deal from making the documentary.

"I found I really had started making the film for myself, regarding the struggles of being constantly bombarded by indecision when it came to purchasing food on a tight budget,” says Rasmussen. “Less=More’s mission to create change around livestock production and local economies brought me into contact with a group of truly inspiring people that helped me to answer these questions.” 

Less=More is a sustainable agriculture coalition tackling the inequity of Farm Bill subsidies in Michigan that favor polluting factory farms over safe, sustainable livestock farms at the expense of the environment and public health. In 2013, the coalition released a report, Restoring the Balance to Michigan’s Farming Landscape, that explores the relationship between Farm Bill subsidies and factory farm pollution in Michigan. To download Restoring the Balance, visit: http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport. 

Less=More is comprised of national, state and local organizations and farmers, including: Beery Farms of Michigan, the Center for Food Safety, Crane Dance Farm, ELFCO Food Cooperative, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Food & Water Watch, Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, Groundswell Farm, Humane Society of the United States, Michigan Small Farm Council, Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, Michigan Voices for Good Food Policy, Michigan Young Farmers Coalition, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and Socially Responsible Agricultural Project. 

Less=More is made possible in part by support from the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation.

Less support for polluting factory farms means a more sustainable Michigan.  For more information, visit, www.MoreforMichigan.org.   

Sierra Club Environmental Awards Celebration Oct. 21 in Grand Rapids

Honoring Mayor George Heartwell with the Jane Elder Environmentalist of the Year Award and T. Arnold (Arn) Boezaart with the Burton V. Barnes Award

Tues., Oct. 21, 5:30-7:30pm; 6:15pm awards presentation
McFadden’s Restaurant, 3rd Floor Pearl Room 58 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids
H'ors d'ouevres reception; Happy Hour Cash Bar $2/drafts & well drinks; $2 off all other drinks

Miniumum suggested donation of $10 per person.

To RSVP & buy tickets now, use our online RSVP and donation system.

Please join us in the celebration of the great vision and achievements of Mayor George Heartwell and T. Arnold Boezaart—two dynamos in the world of sustainable energy who have provided extraordinary leadership in West Michigan and across the state through their energy work, practices and initiatives.

Unable to attend this Environmental Awards Celebration?  Please consider making a donation to the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter to support our citizen-based strong advocacy and lobbying programs. We're working to stop climate disruption by moving Michigan off fossil fuels and into clean, renewable energy; protect and restore our forests and natural resources; level the play field for clean, sustainable agriculture; and invest in electing legislators who care about our environment and our states future.

Gov. Snyder Should Act On Great Lakes Oil Spill Threat

For Immediate Release: Monday, Sept. 15, 2014

Contact:

David Holtz, Sierra Club                                 Liz Kirkwood, For Love of Water

313-300-4454; david@davidholtz.org      (231) 944-1568; liz@flowforwater.org

Pressure Mounts for Gov. Snyder to Act as Coast Guard Admits Its Unprepared

for Heavy Oil Spill

Citizens groups concerned that Enbridge plans to bring more heavy oil through Michigan pipelines

Citizens groups today called on Gov. Rick Snyder to take immediate steps toward protecting Michigan from oil pipelines running through the Straits of Mackinac, in the wake of revelations that the United States Coast Guard cannot effectively respond to a major heavy oil spill in the Great Lakes.

“The governor not only has the authority but the responsibility to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of a potentially catastrophic oil spill posed by two huge Enbridge oil pipelines across the straits,” said David Holtz, Executive Committee Chair of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter.  “The cost to our state’s economy and our Great Lakes system is just too great for this not to be an urgent priority for the governor.”

News reports last week revealed that lack of equipment, training, and funding left the Coast Guard—designated as first responders for any oil spill in the lakes—unprepared for a heavy oil spill.  This is based on a 2013 Coast Guard study and statements made by Coast Guard officials who raise particular concern that heavy tar sands oil sinks below the surface, making traditional recovery methods ineffective. 

Environmental leaders say that in addition to keeping out tar sands oil, what’s needed is for the governor to assert authority under the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act and start an open public process to evaluate the safety and future of the Line 5 pipelines that run through the Straits.

Given the increased risks and clean-up challenges posed by heavy tar sands oil, citizens groups say the governor should also move to modify the state’s 1953 easement agreement with Enbridge to ensure that heavy tar sands are not moving through Line 5.  Enbridge says the heavy oils are not moving through the Straits, but the groups point out that this could change at any time without public notice or state approval.

“If our governor is serious about protecting the Great Lakes, he will heed the Coast Guard warning and prevent tar sands from moving through the Straits as a condition of the state's easement with Enbridge,” said Liz Kirkwood, executive director of FLOW in Traverse City. ”

At the same time Enbridge is saying there are no tar sands oils in Line 5, the company is investing between $36 and $43 billion in the next five years to expand its nearly 16,000 miles of pipeline systems. Many believe it is part of its plan to bring more tar sands oil in this direction. One of their biggest projects is to expand the Alberta Clipper pipeline, which connects the tar sands formation in Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin where Line 5 begins on the shores of Lake Superior. When completed, the Alberta Clipper will double its capacity to 880,000 barrels of oil per day.  This expansion has been controversial because the company has broken up its expansion into pieces to avoid the scrutiny and public process involved in seeking a U.S. Presidential permit.

As for his response, Gov. Snyder has formed a task force to study oil pipelines across the state, including the Enbridge pipeline issue, over the next year or so, a process that is not open to the public.

“This can’t just be a problem you toss to a task force of agencies who work in the dark within a long, drawn out process that can be too easily influenced by Enbridge and the oil industry,” said Holtz.  “This should be a much higher priority and the public needs be involved.  Should there even be oil pipelines in the Great Lakes?  That’s the real question we need to ask and answer.”

The increased risks and difficulty of cleaning up tar sands oils became apparent when in 2010 an Enbridge oil pipeline spilled one million gallons of heavy tar sands oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. This is the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history, and more than four years and a billion dollars later the cleanup is ongoing.

An oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be catastrophic. According to University of Michigan researcher, Dr. David Schwab, the Straits of Mackinac is the “worse possible place for an oil spill in the Great Lakes.”  At any moment, there are more than 1 million gallons of oil in the pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac. So even if a pipeline leak were detected immediately and shut off, an enormous spill could occur. The University’s modeling found that strong and shifting currents at the Straits would disperse crude oil in both east and west directions, affecting large areas of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron shorelines. Passenger ferry service and drinking water would be cut to Mackinac Island.

“The Coast Guard report is more grave news about what we already know – we don’t want to have to clean up an oil spill in the Great Lakes,” said Kirkwood. “We should turn our focus from cleanup to prevention, and the best way to prevent a spill is for the state to look at whether the pipeline should be there in the first place. The governor needs to start that process immediately.”

Video: Available in other formats upon request.

• The University of Michigan animation of the predicted impacts of a spill from this pipeline:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0AsAAHpcs
• Underwater footage of the pipeline below the Straits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMfDDcyRb0  (3:06-4:30)
• The TV commercial airing now across Northern Michigan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc1I9diLgjc

Background: A pair of underwater oil pipelines carry nearly 23 million gallons of oil through the Straits of Mackinac every day. The pipelines are owned by Enbridge, the Canadian company responsible for the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill - the largest inland spill in U.S. history. Enbridge pipelines had more than 1,000 spills in the United States and Canada between 1999 and 2013.  Research by the University of Michigan has shown that an oil spill would prove catastrophic in the strong, erratic currents of the Straits. FLOW and Sierra Club are part of the Oil and Water Don't Mix campaign. For more information, visit www.OilandWaterDontMix.org.  

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STATE DEPARTMENT ENABLES ILLEGAL ENBRIDGE SCHEME TO EXPAND TAR SANDS

SIERRA CLUB

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Contact: 

Contact: Gabby Brown, gabby@newpartners.com, 202-261-2382. Mark Westlund, 415-977-5719; mark.westlund@sierraclub.org

This week, the State Department released documents revealing a scheme by Canadian tar sands giant Enbridge to bypass the Presidential Permit process for expansion of its Alberta Clipper tar sands pipeline. Enbridge has applied to double the capacity of the pipeline, also known as Line 67, to put it on par with the tar sands carrying capacity of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. The State Department has previously made clear that any such expansion requires approval and comprehensive environmental review, and is currently undertaking that review.

Not content to wait for the legally required federal permitting process and environmental review, Enbridge has devised a scheme to transfer the dirty tar sands crude from Alberta Clipper to another pipeline, Line 3, just north of the border, then re-transfer it back to Alberta Clipper once it’s crossed into the United States. This blatant scheme to move up to twice the amount allotted in Enbridge’s permit seems to assert that the pipeline would only impact the few miles around the border crossing, a clear misinterpretation of both the letter and the spirit of the law.

Shockingly, in a two page letter, a mid-level State Department official indicated Enbridge could move forward with this plan despite the fact that it clearly violates the capacity limit imposed by the permit the State Department issued.

“With no public notice, the State Department has shockingly backtracked on its commitment to require environmental review and approval before more dirty tar sands oil enters the United States through Minnesota,” said Marc Fink, a Minnesota-based attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.

“The State Department has violated the public's right to transparency and participation in approval of projects that impact the health and safety of our communities, land, water and climate,” added Kate Jacobson, of MN350.  “Allowing significantly more tar sand oil to flow before a full environmental impact analysis is complete is unacceptable and irresponsible.”

“The State Department doesn't get to make up the law as it goes. This is particularly troubling in light of allegations of an inappropriately cozy relationship between the State Department and the oil industry surrounding the Keystone XL environmental impact statement,” said Jim Murphy, Senior Counsel for National Wildlife Federation.  “The State Department cannot in effect approve a doubling of the amount of climate-disrupting tar sands being carried into the Great Lakes region without conducting a proper public review and permitting process. That is a clear violation of the law and the State Department must immediately reverse course and put the best interests of America first.”

“When will Canada have enough risky pipelines cutting thru our land and water? When is enough?” asked Jane Kleeb, of Bold Nebraska. “For the promise of jobs and energy independence, landowners and tribes are being sold out so foreign corporations can get tar sands on the export market. Canada is engaged in a scam circumventing federal, state and local laws all in the name of exporting their tar sands while we take on all the risk of spills.”

"Expanding the Alberta Clipper pipeline is entirely inconsistent with the administration's commitment to taking aggressive action on climate change, and it's also illegal," said Sierra Club attorney Doug Hayes. "The President's promise to decide Keystone XL based on its climate impacts is completely meaningless if the State Department is simultaneously permitting other tar sands pipelines behind closed doors."

“Enbridge can’t show how this project is in the nation’s interest, so instead they are trying to hoodwink its regulators,” said Anthony Swift, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Blindly approving Enbridge’s tar sands pipeline expansion would make a mockery of our permitting process and undermine our efforts to address climate change.”

“Allowing more tar sands oil into the United States without conducting impact analyses is unconscionable and illegal. A State Department spokesman said just this week that the Department is committed to ‘a rigorous, objective, and transparent review process’ with regards to pipeline approval. That is not possible if they eschew a review process altogether,” said Luísa Abbott Galvão of Friends of the Earth.

Jason Kowalski, Policy Director of 350.org, said "When we blocked Keystone XL, the fossil fuel industry learned that they have a much stronger hand to play in back rooms than on the streets. They will break the law and wreck our climate if that's what it takes for them to make a buck -- and we will be ready to stand up to them, from Nebraska, to Minnesota, to the streets of New York City." 

"Apparently John Kerry's Department of State doesn't think the President's Climate Test should apply to an additional 350,000 barrels per day of dirty tar sands oil. They're trying to approve almost half the volume of the KXL pipeline, but it won't work. If this stands, this will be a disaster for the climate and for the President's credibility,” said Stephen Kretzmann, Executive Director of Oil Change International.  “It's terrible timing, as the President prepares to join other world leaders in New York next month.  You can't approve more tar sands into the U.S. and then turn around and talk about a commitment to combating climate change with a straight face. That's simply climate denial.”

Secretary Kerry and President Obama have both committed to making meaningful progress on climate, and with the international Climate Summit around the corner, the eyes of the world are watching to see how seriously the United States is taking climate action. Allowing this decision to stand would prioritize Enbridge’s desire to expand development of the dirtiest fuel source on the planet over the interests of the American people, and would undermine any credibility President Obama has to encourage other countries to commit to combat climate change.

In the event that the Obama Administration does not recognize the dire consequences of allowing this decision to go through, groups opposed to tar sands expansion are currently evaluating their legal options to force an injunction on construction.

Campaign Name: 

Beyond Oil

NEWS: Sierra Club releases endorsements for MI State Legislative and Local races

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2014

CONTACT:

Mike Berkowitz

248-345-9808

mike.berkowitz@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club Endorses Candidates in State Legislative and Local Races

Nation’s Largest Grassroots Conservation Organization Backs Climate and Clean Energy Leaders in Michigan election

LANSING, MI  -The Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club announced over 30 candidate endorsements in Michigan’s upcoming state legislative and local elections.        

“These Sierra Club endorsed candidates have demonstrated strong leadership in promoting clean air, clean water and cleaner energy for a healthier Michigan,” said Mike Berkowitz, Political Director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter.

Sierra Club endorsed the following candidates for State Senate:

Coleman Young for State Senate District 1

Morris Hood for State Senate District 3

Virgil Smith for State Senate District 4

Vincent Gregory for State Senate District 11

Kevin Commet for State Senate District 16

Jim Ananich for State Senate District 27

Sarah Howard for State Senate District 30

Ron Mindykowski for State Senate District 31

Fred Sprague for State Senate District 33

Cathy Forbes for State Senate District 34

Phil Bellfy for State Senate District 37

Sierra Club endorsed the following candidates for State Representative:

Stephanie Chang for State Representative District 6

Sherry Gay Dagnogo for State Representative District 8

Julie Plawecki for State Representative District 11

Kristy Pagan for State Representative District 21

John Chirkun for State Representative District 22

David Haener for State Representative District 23

Robert Wittenberg for State Representative District 27

Derek Miller for State Representative District 28

Bo Karpinsky for State Representative District 30

Christine Greig for State Representative District 37

Sandy Colvin for State Representative District 39

Phil Phelps for State Representative District 49

Sharon Wimple for State Representative District 57

Jon Hoadley for State Representative District 60

John Fischer for State Representative District 61

Andy Helmbolt for State Representative District 62

Rob VerHeulen for State Representative District 74

Annie Braidwood for State Representative District 85

Lynn Mason for State Representative District 86

Betsy Coffia for State Representative District 104

Robert Kennedy for State Representative District 106

Sierra Club also endorsed the following for local races:

David Bowman for Oakland County Commission District 10

“Sierra Club volunteers from among the organization’s 160,000 Michigan members and supporters will work with endorsed candidates in their own communities, identifying and recruiting other likely voters who are concerned about the state’s environmental and energy policies,” said Richard Morley Barron, Political Chair of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter

The Michigan Chapter’s Political Committee conducts thorough reviews of all candidates based on their environmental history, voting records and policy positions through candidate interviews and responses to candidate questionnaires.

A full list of candidates endorsed by the Michigan Sierra Club, including federal, state and local candidates, is available at the following website: http://michigan.sierraclub.org/politics/articles/2014Endorsements.html

About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 160,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.

Paid for by Michigan Sierra PAC (109 E. Grand River Ave. Lansing, MI 48906)

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Snyder Should Ban, Not Study Radioactive Waste Imports to Michigan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         More Information:

Monday, August 25, 2014                               Mike Berkowitz

                                                                        248-345-9808

Sierra Club:  Snyder Should Ban, Not Study 

Radioactive Waste Imports to Michigan

LANSING, MI--Michigan Sierra Club criticized Gov. Snyder’s decision today to study rather than prevent radioactive wastes from being imported to Michigan from other states.

“We shouldn't be accepting radioactive waste from other states, period,” said Mike Berkowitz, Sierra Club Legislative Director.  “Creating a study group is more about public relations than protecting Michigan’s drinking water sources.  What possible reason is there for Michigan to be burying other states’ radioactive wastes?

“The fact that the governor has already said in advance of the study that our current rules allowing wastes are protective enough speaks volumes. If Governor Snyder is unwilling to protect Michigan from radioactive wastes, then lawmakers need to step up and fill the void.”

Berkowitz pointed out that in announcing the study, Gov. Snyder gave no deadline for completing it or whether the study group would take input from the public.

Nearly 40 tons of radioactive sludge from Pennsylvania gas drilling operations is being shipped to a Michigan hazardous waste site after it was rejected by Pennsylvania as well as West Virginia.  Wayne Disposal in Belleville near Willow Run Airport is the destination for the large radioactive waste shipment from Pennsylvania.  Other states, meanwhile, are either banning or tightening regulations on radioactive waste disposal, making Michigan an attractive target for disposal.

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SIERRA CLUB CHALLENGES DEQ FISH FARM PERMIT THREATENING Au SABLE RIVER ‘HOLY WATERS’

Fish Factory Could Bring Diseases, Parasites To Famed River

LANSING--The Sierra Club announced today that it will challenge a state permit allowing a controversial factory fish farm in the famed Au Sable River near Grayling. The permit, issued on July 1 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), would allow the fish farm to discharge pollutants into the East Branch of the Au Sable River, just upstream from where it joins the world-renowned “Holy Waters” section of the Main Branch of the river. Another state agency, the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, has described the Holy Waters stretch of the Au Sable as “unique”, and notes that it is “renowned” throughout the world.

 

“The idea of placing an industrial fish farm within the Au Sable River is just mind-boggling", said Anne Woiwode,  Director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. "Fish waste, food, disease, and parasites are inevitably associated with fish farms of this type. To allow the discharge of these substances into the Au Sable River goes against everything Michiganders expect from our state officials ”.

 

Woiwode also pointed out that the permit does not require monitoring or control of the release of disease, parasites, most pollutants, or even live fish into the river.

 

"There is evidence indicating that there have already been escapees from this facility, even before it has ramped up to industrial capacity”, said Woiwode.

 

Attorney Nick Schroeck, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, represents Sierra Club. Schroeck says that the DEQ has failed in their duty to protect the environment.

 

“The DEQ has admitted that operation of this facility will degrade one of the most economically valuable rivers in the country,” said Schroeck. “But the agency claims  that this degradation is  acceptable, because it will provide 2 full time and 2 part time jobs.  The risk to the Au Sable far outweighs any potential benefits from this facility."

 

The Sierra Club will file a petition today for a Contested Case with the DEQ, challenging the permit.

 

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Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization, with 150,000 members and supporters in Michigan.