Monday, November 18, 2019
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Enbridge Pulls Fake Michigan Media Ads - But Can’t Erase It’s Real Track Record
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Enbridge Pulls Fake Michigan Media Ads
But Can’t Erase It’s Real Track Record
The following statement can be attributed to David Holtz, spokesperson for Oil & Water Don’t Mix
After promoting fake ads all summer in a slick paid statewide media campaign, Line 5 owner Enbridge has now reportedly apologized for misleading the public. Enbridge’s ads are headlined, “We’re working to protect Michigan’s water.” Nothing could be further from the truth than that headline and those Enbridge ads, which seek to portray the Canadian energy transport company responsible for 2010’s largest oil pipeline rupture in Michigan history as a good environmental steward of the Great Lakes.
If all Enbridge was doing was lying to the public in this fake ad, their apology would be accepted and that might be the end of the story. But while Enbridge can photoshop away a NOAA logo and use a NOAA scientist to make Enbridge look like Great Lakes water protectors, the Canadian company’s awful track record can’t be so easily erased.
In the ads, Enbridge featured a government scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory working in the Straits of Mackinac, but removed his government logo to make it look like he was from Enbridge.
The NOAA scientist in the ad -- not Enbridge -- is working to protect Great Lakes water quality. And it is NOAA that will have to help deal with the consequences of an Enbridge oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac from Line 5, which may explain why Enbridge’s fake ad was particularly offensive to NOAA Great Lakes workers. Enbridge, of course, put out their fake ad without asking or receiving permission from NOAA. Meanwhile, Michiganders, who come by their love for the Great Lakes honestly, are supporting Attorney General Dana Nessel’s efforts to decommission Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Mackinac Straits.
Consider Enbridge’s awful track record:
- Enbridge’s negligence caused the largest oil pipeline rupture in Michigan history near Marshall nine years ago but they were allowed to construct an even bigger pipeline to replace the old Line 6B that ruptured.
- Enbridge’s track record includes $177 million in civil penalties, $1.3 billion in damages and more than 2.3 million gallons of spilled oil.
- Less than two years ago, Enbridge agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine for failing to thoroughly inspect its pipelines for weaknesses as required under a 2016 agreement that covers their dangerous Line 5.
- Enbridge lied about Line 5 safety when it knew that since 2003 numerous bottom support anchors were missing and failed to disclose it until 2017, nine months after a report documented that pipeline spans of up to 286 feet had no anchor support. Enbridge violated its easement agreement with the state but is now suing to force the state to accept additional agreements that would keep Line 5 operating.
- In 2017 Enbridge claimed that missing protective coatings along the Straits pipeline were a mere “hypothetical” possibility, while at the same time a video in their possession showed areas of missing coatings and the company had known of bare spots since 2014..
- Enbridge’s claims about Line 5 pipeline safety were put to the test when an anchor was deployed in the Straits of Mackinac in April 2018 denting and gouging Line 5. Enbridge’s technology failed that test when, despite the damage to Line 5, no warnings were triggered and it was three weeks before underwater vehicles contracted by Enbridge could safely navigate the turbulent Straits to put eyes on the damage.
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Sunday, September 15, 2019
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Great Lakes toxic algae : call-in Thursday, Sept 12
If you're concerned about the toxic algae problem in our Great Lakes, please join our call-in on Thursday, Sep. 12! Our Great Farms Great Lakes Michigan coalition is having a Call-In Day to Governor Whitmer to tell her NO manure pollution for Michigan. We need your help spreading the word. Here are a few ways you can take action:
- Make the call to Governor Whitmer’s office this Thursday. Use this number (855-980-2268) and you’ll be reminded to say your name, location and that you urge Governor Whitmer to ban manure spreading on frozen and snow covered ground.
- Invite your Michigan friends to the facebook event, then we’ll remind them to make a call on Thursday.
- Commit to getting 5 friends to make the call. Here is how you might ask them via text, email or messenger,
- “Hi there, I just made a call to ask Governor Whitmer to ban manure pollution in Michigan. The irresponsible application of cow manure to frozen ground on Michigan factory farms causes waste to run off into our waterways, feeding toxic algae blooms that destroy our drinking water. We need a large number of calls but it only takes each person a minute! Can you make a quick call to her to ask her to do the same? 855-980-2268
- Want to do more? On Thursday, try a Facebook live video telling people to call with a sign that says, “Call Governor Whitmer, stop manure pollution 855-980-2268”
Two big talking points:
- Michigan has almost 300 factory farms and voluntary waste management rules around manure spreading.
- Over 80% of the nutrient load that causes toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie comes from agricultural practices (like winter manure spreading).
Resources for you:
Thanks!
Gail Philbin
Michigan Chapter Director
Office: 616-805-3063
Cell: 312-493-2384
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Being a black tree hugger has taught me that we must engage all citizens to fight climate crisis
Activists, journalists, politicians and voters must transcend the cultural, racial and political differences to work together
“You’re a black tree hugger, interesting.” When I told my grandparents that I was moving back to Detroit to work as an environmental justice organizer for the Sierra Club they chuckled and called me a tree hugger.
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