The Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 21, 2019 after a massive fire was contained. Xinhua / Liu Jie via Getty Images
The sprawling Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery has poisoned the Greys Ferry neighborhood for 150 years, and continues to do so even after it closed in 2019 following numerous explosions, Reuters reports.
<p>The scale of the toxic legacy left by the East Coast's oldest and largest refinery — including poisonous waste fuels poured onto the ground and even buried rail cars — is staggering, and cleanup operations continue to inflict pollution on the predominantly Black neighborhood nearby. </p>
<p>As many as 3,000 tanks and vessels will need to be removed from the site and, "There's enough pipeline to connect you from here to Florida, and the majority of that pipeline today is wrapped in asbestos," said Roberto Perez, CEO of the Chicago-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners that bought the property in June. </p>
<p>Despite the obvious hazards, local residents feel shut out of the remediation process. It was also unclear how or if those residents who have endured decades of toxic pollution will benefit from the hotel and restaurant Hilco is reportedly considering building on the site.</p>
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<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N2HF0MW?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--m83fTgEyDdTu0808gHCa20OkOWNMmGkalds_Gze2lbol7LVuZLLNf6eoopbZpSDqFxA0PvQLG7HPwSkz8elYxuHGOtQ&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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After Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Operating Illegally, Dems Demand Biden It Shut Down
06 February
Politics
Protesters march during a demonstration against the Dakota Access Pipeline on March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Five Democratic lawmakers on Friday encouraged President Joe Biden to order an immediate shutdown of the Dakota Access pipeline after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last week delivered a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe by ruling that DAPL is operating illegally.
<p><span></span>The three-judge panel <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/dc_cir_dapl_opinion.pdf" target="_blank">upheld</a> a lower court's ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it granted an easement for DAPL to cross a federal reservoir along the Missouri River, less than a mile from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.</p><p>The court ordered a full environmental impact statement examining the threats posed by the oil pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as the Democrats' <a href="https://barragan.house.gov/barragan-ruiz-grijalva-merkley-and-warren-urge-shutdown-of-dakota-access-pipeline/" target="_blank">letter</a> to Biden notes, "rightfully fears an oil spill could disproportionately affect their drinking water, as well as hunting and fishing rights."</p><p>Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Mike Faith <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2021/appeals-court-rules-for-standing-rock-sioux-tribe-in-pipeline-fight" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement that "we are pleased that the D.C. Circuit affirmed the necessity of a full environmental review, and we look forward to showing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers why this pipeline is too dangerous to operate."</p>
<p>Despite mandating the review, the panel did not order DAPL to stop operating. Jan Hasselman, the EarthJustice attorney representing Standing Rock, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-north-dakota-courts-dakota-access-pipeline-missouri-river-671afcf1da10d5300260622296c4b379" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> after the ruling that "this pipeline is now operating illegally."</p><p>"The appeals court put the ball squarely in the court of the Biden administration to take action," Hasselman said. "And I mean shutting the pipeline down until this environmental review is completed."</p><p>Five lawmakers are now backing that call: Reps. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as well as Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).</p>
<div id="9f3d6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="903553eb93c7e12d4c26b2c6ac655040"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1357770657132593152" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today, @SenJeffMerkley @SenWarren @RepRaulRuizMD @RepRaulGrijalva & I asked @POTUS to put people over polluters & s… https://t.co/hAHRd25RwA</div> — Nanette D. Barragán (@Nanette D. Barragán)<a href="https://twitter.com/RepBarragan/statuses/1357770657132593152">1612552725.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The Democrats note that Biden has taken "bold early actions ... to prioritize climate action and environmental justice," including withdrawing permits for the Keystone XL pipeline.</p><p>In addition to urging him to "build on this promising start" by shutting down DAPL during the review, they detail some of the pipeline's history, including the "egregious environmental racism" in 2016, when "North Dakota law enforcement officials violently removed protestors from the path of DAPL, many of them from the nearby Standing Rock Sioux Tribe."</p><p>While former President Barack Obama—under whom Biden was vice president — denied DAPL permission to cross beneath Lake Oahe on unceded ancestral tribal lands, former President Donald Trump, the letter notes, "reversed course and granted the easement while ignoring the concerns of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe."</p>
<div id="c45a0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5efc0228e148443c62e91fe1da45e87d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1357458637086670849" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Hey @JoeBiden, the Dakota Access Pipeline continues to operate illegally endangering the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.… https://t.co/2RKBVACHl1</div> — Joye Braun (@Joye Braun)<a href="https://twitter.com/joyem_braun/statuses/1357458637086670849">1612478334.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"As you consider how to proceed," the Democrats write, "we encourage you to meet with members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other impacted tribes to better understand how the DAPL affects their lands, treaty rights, and environmental priorities."</p><p>"By shutting down this illegal pipeline, you can continue to show your administration values the environment and the rights of Indigenous communities more than the profits of outdated fossil fuel industries," the letter adds. "This is a critical step towards righting the wrongs of the past and setting our nation on a path of environmental, climate, and social justice."</p>
<div id="188c4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8d79ee5ec86191a62cd1e3e1b3a2b6ca"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1356300279843594248" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Hey @JoeBiden, we still #StandwithStandingRock.
It's time to shut down DAPL and #BuildBackFossilFree.
DAPL conti… https://t.co/lTsuqLjpws</div> — Indigenous Environmental Network (@Indigenous Environmental Network)<a href="https://twitter.com/IENearth/statuses/1356300279843594248">1612202160.0</a></blockquote></div><p>As DeSmog <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2021/02/04/trillion-oil-gas-pipelines-dakota-access-stranded-assets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted</a> Thursday, DAPL is facing more than just legal trouble: Westchester Fire Insurance Co. <a href="https://wcc.efs.iowa.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&allowInterrupt=1&dID=338626&noSaveAs=1&fbclid=IwAR27w2FZQ4Xer-2A1XRSfRAoMFSMoglHFNswJwCJMpF2oHhvc9dNo6GTFPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notified</a> pipeline owner Energy Transfer in early January that it had lost a $250,000 "bond that Iowa, one of the four states it passes through, required the pipeline to maintain."</p><p>The 1,172-mile underground pipeline, which began operating in June 2017, transports 570,000 barrels of oil per day from the Bakken formation in North Dakota, through South Dakota and Iowa, to a terminal in Illinois.</p><p>Attorney Carolyn Raffensperger, director of the Science and Health Network, told <em>DeSmog</em> it could be tricky for Energy Transfer to replace the lost insurance coverage, especially given the court-ordered review.</p><p>"It will be difficult because the bond holder will require the pipeline to comply with all legal requirements," Raffensperger said. "If it is operating without a permit, any spill would be a big, big legal problem."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/05/after-court-rules-dakota-access-pipeline-operating-illegally-dems-demand-biden-it?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Living With Natural Gas Pipelines: Appalachian Landowners Describe Fear, Anxiety and Loss
03 February
Energy
Pipeline construction cuts through forests and farms in Appalachia. Erin Brock Carlson / CC BY-SA
By Erin Brock Carlson and Martina Angela Caretta
More than 2 million miles of natural gas pipelines run throughout the United States. In Appalachia, they spread like spaghetti across the region.
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Many of these lines were built in just the past five years to carry natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where hydraulic fracturing has boomed. West Virginia alone has seen a <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/na1160_swv_2a.htm" target="_blank">fourfold increase</a> in natural gas production in the past decade.</p><p>Such fast growth has also brought hundreds of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipelines-etp-violations-insight/two-u-s-pipelines-rack-up-violations-threaten-industry-growth-idUSKCN1NX1E3" target="_blank">safety</a> and <a href="https://roanoke.com/business/environmental-regulators-seek-more-fines-against-mountain-valley-pipeline/article_31c30aa8-37d8-559a-8009-274ea19e00ae.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental</a> violations, particularly under the Trump administration's <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/climate-environment/trump-climate-environment-protections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced oversight</a> and streamlined approvals for pipeline projects. While energy companies promise <a href="https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1322&context=bureau_be" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic benefits</a> for depressed regions, pipeline projects are upending the lives of people in their paths.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://english.wvu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty-directory/erin-brock-carlson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">technical and professional communication scholar</a> focused on how rural communities deal with complex problems and a <a href="https://portal.research.lu.se/portal/en/persons/martina-angela-caretta(5bef3fe2-55eb-4cc8-9326-977f0fabb526).html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">geography scholar</a> specializing in human-environment interactions, we teamed up to study the effects of pipeline development in rural Appalachia. In 2020, we surveyed and talked with dozens of people living close to pipelines in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.</p><p>What we found illuminates the stress and uncertainty that communities experience when natural gas pipelines change their landscape. Residents live with the fear of disasters, the noise of construction and the anxiety of having no control over their own land.</p>
<h2><br>'None of This Is Fair'</h2><p>Appalachians are no strangers to environmental risk. The region has a long and complicated history with extractive industries, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.04.005" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">coal</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010147" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hydraulic fracturing</a>. However, it's rare to hear firsthand accounts of the long-term effects of industrial infrastructure development in rural communities, especially when it comes to pipelines, since they are the result of more recent energy-sector growth.</p><p>For all of the people we talked to, the process of pipeline development was drawn out and often confusing.</p><p>Some reported never hearing about a planned pipeline until a "land man" – a gas company representative – knocked on their door offering to buy a slice of their property; others said that they found out through newspaper articles or posts on social media. Every person we spoke with agreed that the burden ultimately fell on them to find out what was happening in their communities.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU4ODc4My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTA4MjQwMH0.bKuxK1JFI5ytEYXs-DgCNTiEprGz1JX1QYkYqHs-QQ8/img.png?width=980" id="8d9c6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="66ab800df199e374d83008d391c818d4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="816" />
A map shows U.S. pipelines carrying natural gas and hazardous liquids in 2018. More construction has been underway since then. GAO and U.S. Department of Transportation
<p>One woman in West Virginia said that after finding out about plans for a pipeline feeding a petrochemical complex several miles from her home, she started doing her own research. "I thought to myself, how did this happen? We didn't know anything about it," she said. "It's not fair. None of this is fair. … We are stuck with a polluting company."</p>
<h2>'Lawyers Ate Us Up'</h2><p>If residents do not want pipelines on their land, they can pursue legal action against the energy company rather than taking a settlement. However, this can result in the use of eminent domain.</p><p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/eminent_domain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eminent domain</a> is a right given by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to companies to access privately held property if the project is considered important for public need. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-5/just-compensation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Compensation</a> is decided by the courts, based on assessed land value, not taking into consideration the intangibles tied to the loss of the land surrounding one's home, such as loss of future income.</p><p>Through this process, residents can be forced to accept a sum that doesn't take into consideration all effects of pipeline construction on their land, such as the damage heavy equipment will do to surrounding land and access roads.</p><p>One man we spoke with has lived on his family's land for decades. In 2018, a company representative approached him for permission to install a new pipeline parallel to one that had been in place since 1962, far away from his house. However, crews ran into problems with the steep terrain and wanted to install it much closer to his home. Unhappy with the new placement, and seeing erosion from pipeline construction on the ridge behind his house causing washouts, he hired a lawyer. After several months of back and forth with the company, he said, "They gave me a choice: Either sign the contract or do the eminent domain. And my lawyer advised me that I didn't want to do eminent domain."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU4ODkwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTkxMTc0OH0.fgwg6ZVaylzyv-99a0FxPRB5b7GHN2T7VdN86LdCSA4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f2079" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="faaef8039f31436cd397b34c0288a248" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="900" />
Pipeline construction cuts through a farmer's field. Erin Brock Carlson, CC BY-SA
<p>There was a unanimous sense among the 31 people we interviewed that companies have seemingly endless financial and legal resources, making court battles virtually unwinnable. Nondisclosure agreements <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010147" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can effectively silence</a> landowners. Furthermore, lawyers licensed to work in West Virginia who aren't already working for gas companies can be difficult to find, and legal fees can become too much for residents to pay.</p><p>One woman, the primary caretaker of land her family has farmed for 80 years, found herself facing significant legal fees after a dispute with a gas company. "We were the first and last ones to fight them, and then people saw what was going to happen to them, and they just didn't have – it cost us money to get lawyers. Lawyers ate us up," she said.</p><p>The pipeline now runs through what were once hayfields. "We haven't had any income off that hay since they took it out in 2016," she said. "It's nothing but a weed patch."</p>
<h2>'I Mean, Who Do You Call?'</h2><p>Twenty-six of the 45 survey respondents reported that they felt that their property value had decreased as a result of pipeline construction, citing the risks of water contamination, explosion and unusable land.</p><p>Many of the 31 people we interviewed were worried about the same sort of long-term concerns, as well as gas leaks and air pollution. Hydraulic fracturing and other natural gas processes can <a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/hfstudy/recordisplay.cfm?deid=332990" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">affect drinking water resources</a>, especially if there are spills or improper storage procedures. Additionally, methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/controlling-air-pollution-oil-and-natural-gas-industry/basic-information-about-oil-and-natural-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">volatile organic compounds</a>, which can pose health risks, are byproducts of the <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42986.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">natural gas supply chain</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU4OTA5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzM3MzMzM30.-hoH2i7mwEOHvm80PCX2ZYGlTPrGxVh9nKjOJDrvQfI/img.jpg?width=980" id="bf450" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e75bad33b78819ff6f28a86039446fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="900" />
Oil spills are a major concern among land owners. Erin Brock Carlson, CC BY-SA
<p>"Forty years removed from this, are they going to be able to keep track and keep up with infrastructure? I mean, I can smell gas as I sit here now," one man told us. His family had watched the natural gas industry move into their part of West Virginia in the mid-2010s. In addition to a 36-inch pipe on his property, there are several smaller wells and lines. "This year the company servicing the smaller lines has had nine leaks... that's what really concerns me," he said.</p><p>The top concern mentioned by survey respondents was <a href="https://pstrust.org/about-pipelines/state-by-state-incident-maps/" target="_blank">explosions</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.fractracker.org/2018/12/pipeline-incidents-impact-residents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to data from 2010 to 2018</a>, a pipeline explosion occurred, on average, every 11 days in the U.S. While major pipeline explosions are relatively rare, when they do occur, they can be devastating. In 2012, a 20-inch transmission line exploded in Sissonville, West Virginia, damaging five homes and leaving four lanes of Interstate 77 looking "<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/11/west-virginia-gas-explosion/1761757/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">like a tar pit</a>."</p>
<p><br>Amplifying these fears is the lack of consistent communication from corporations to residents living along pipelines. Approximately half the people we interviewed reported that they did not have a company contact to call directly in case of a pipeline emergency, such as a spill, leak or explosion. "I mean, who do you call?" one woman asked.</p>
<h2>'We Just Keep Doing the Same Thing'</h2><p>Several people interviewed described a fatalistic attitude toward energy development in their communities.</p><p>Energy analysts <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oil-natural-gas-outlook/u-s-shale-firms-amp-up-natural-gas-output-as-futures-signal-more-gains-idUSKBN28A0GN" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expect gas production to increase</a> this year after a slowdown in 2020. Pipeline companies <a href="https://www.hartenergy.com/news/proposed-rules-cloud-startup-mountain-valley-natural-gas-pipeline-191676" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expect to keep building</a>. And while the Biden administration is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-public-health-and-environment-and-restoring-science-to-tackle-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to restore some regulations</a>, the president has said he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT6zHIXUsPs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">would not</a> <a href="https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/whats-next-fracking-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ban fracking</a>.</p><p>"It's just kind of sad because they think, once again, this will be West Virginia's salvation," one landowner said. "Harvesting the timber was, then digging the coal was our salvation. … And then here's the third one. We just keep doing the same thing."</p>
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erin-brock-carlson-1191737" target="_blank">Erin Brock Carlson</a> is an assistant professor of professional writing and editing at West Virginia University.<br/>
</em></p><p><u><em>
Martina Angela Caretta is a senior lecturer in human geography at Lund University.
</em></u></p><p><u><em>
Disclosure statements: Dr. Carlson has received funding this project from the West Virginia University Humanities Center.<br/>
Dr. Caretta has received funding for this project from the Heinz Foundation and the West Virginia University Humanities Center.</em></u>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-with-natural-gas-pipelines-appalachian-landowners-describe-fear-anxiety-and-loss-152586" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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A protester demonstrates against the Dakota Access Pipeline on March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
A federal appeals court has struck another blow against the contested Dakota Access Pipeline.
<p>A three-judge panel on the U.S. District Court of Appeals from the D.C. Circuit <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/dc_cir_dapl_opinion.pdf" target="_blank">agreed</a> Tuesday with a lower court ruling that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" target="_self">pipeline</a>'s crossing at the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is illegal and requires an in-depth environmental review, the <a href="https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/energy-and-mining/6858516-Federal-court-delivers-blow-to-Dakota-Access-as-Biden-presidency-leaves-pipelines-fate-in-question" target="_blank">Grand Forks Herald reported</a>.</p><p>"We are pleased that the D.C. Circuit affirmed the necessity of a full environmental review, and we look forward to showing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers why this pipeline is too dangerous to operate," Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Mike Faith said in an <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2021/appeals-court-rules-for-standing-rock-sioux-tribe-in-pipeline-fight" target="_blank">Earthjustice press release</a>.</p><p>The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has long opposed the pipeline's crossing under Lake Oahe, a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water" target="_self">drinking water</a> source for the tribe that is located just off of their reservation, the Grand Forks Herald explained. It became the subject of massive <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous" target="_self">Indigenous</a>-led <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dakota-access-pipeline-protest-photos-2068408834.html" target="_self">protests</a> in 2016 and 2017, leading the Obama administration to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/army-corps-permit-dakota-access-pipeline-2128363393.html" target="_self">withhold</a> a key permit for the project.</p><p> However, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump-administration" target="_self">Trump administration</a> approved the pipeline without a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the Missouri River crossing, a coalition of Sioux tribes <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/tribes_letter_to_presidential.elect_biden_re_dapl.011921.final_.pdf" target="_blank">explained in a letter</a> to President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a>. The Army Corps of Engineers began an EIS of the crossing in September based on the lower court ruling, the Grand Forks Herald reported. This is expected to take up to 13 months, but the tribes and their allies are calling on the Biden administration to shut the pipeline down entirely.</p>
<p>Biden has promised to focus on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> in office, and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/joe-biden-day-one-climate-actions-2650056267.html" target="_self">canceled</a> the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="_self">Keystone XL</a> pipeline on day one of his administration, leading Indigenous and environmental activists to call for a shutdown of all contested fossil fuel pipelines.</p><p><span></span>"Especially after the Keystone XL decision, the pressure is increasing for the Biden administration to take action here," Jan Hasselman, an Earthjustice attorney who represents the Standing Rock Sioux, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-pipeline-dakota-access-idUSL1N2K11VP" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile, pipeline proponents considered Tuesday's court decision a win because the court did not order the pipeline to shut down while the EIS is completed. A lower court had originally <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dakota-access-pipeline-shut-down-2646355663.html" target="_self">ordered</a> the pipeline to shut down in July, but that has been <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dakota-access-pipeline-shutdown-2646906562.html" target="_self">reversed</a>.</p><p>"I think the big point is that the court did not rule that DAPL is not safe," Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, told the Grand Forks Herald.</p><p>The Dakota Access pipeline is the main pipeline delivering oil from North Dakota's Bakken field, which is the second-largest shale development in the U.S., according to Reuters. It currently has the capacity to carry 570,000 barrels of oil a day, but both state regulators and pipeline operators want to double that in coming years, the Grand Forks Herald reported. It is owned by Energy Transfer Partners.</p>
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President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the State Dining Room at the White House on Jan. 22, 2021 in Washington, DC. Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images
By Andrew Rosenberg
The first 24 hours of the administration of President Joe Biden were filled not only with ceremony, but also with real action. Executive orders and other directives were quickly signed. More actions have followed. All consequential. Many provide a basis for not just undoing actions of the previous administration, but also making real advances in public policy to protect public health, safety, and the environment.
<p><br/></p>
<p>These first executive orders address huge challenges — the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/biden-coronavirus-executive-actions/2021/01/21/9a4ab954-5b56-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pandemic</a>, <a href="https://ucsusa.org/about/news/biden-expected-rejoin-paris-agreement-day-one-bring-us-back-international-fold" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change</a>, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">racial justice</a>, and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/22/fact-sheet-president-bidens-new-executive-actions-deliver-economic-relief-for-american-families-and-businesses-amid-the-covid-19-crises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic</a> uncertainty. Among these actions, President Biden also issued a critically important order on "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-public-health-and-environment-and-restoring-science-to-tackle-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis</a>," which includes some provisions that have received much less attention than they warrant. They go to the heart of much of UCS' work and advocacy.</p>
<p>Section 1 of the order is clear and inspiring:</p><p>"Policy. Our Nation has an abiding commitment to empower our workers and communities; promote and protect our public health and the environment; and conserve our national treasures and monuments, places that secure our national memory. Where the Federal Government has failed to meet that commitment in the past, it must advance environmental justice. In carrying out this charge, the Federal Government must be guided by the best science and be protected by processes that ensure the integrity of Federal decision-making. <em>It is, therefore, the policy of my Administration to listen to the science; to improve public health and protect our environment; to ensure access to clean air and water; to limit exposure to dangerous chemicals and pesticides; to hold polluters accountable, including those who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities; to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; to bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change; to restore and expand our national treasures and monuments; and to prioritize both environmental justice and the creation of the well-paying union jobs necessary to deliver on these goals."</em> (emphasis added)</p>
<p>Music to my ears. Listening to the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a> is not just about the pandemic, it is about serving the needs of the public. For protecting public health and safety in our communities. For worker safety. For protections for all with justice and equity, particularly communities of color and low-income communities that have long suffered much of the burden of pollution and environmental harms. These are exactly the <a href="https://ucsusa.org/resources/roadmap-science-decisionmaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">changes</a> that UCS has been advocating for and will pay enormous dividends in improving public health and safety, with specific attention to ensuring those benefits are for all communities.</p><p>As ordered by our president, all agencies and departments in the Executive Branch must immediately review and address actions taken between January 20, 2017 and January 20,2021 that conflict with these policy goals. And suspend, revise, or rescind those found to be in conflict with the new president's policy goals as soon as possible.</p>
<p>For example, these actions will include, but are not limited to:</p><ul><li>Reversing the climate- and health-harming rollback of <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/epa-methane-rollbacks-natural-gas-bridge-becomes-piece-of-crumbling-infrastructure" target="_blank">methane emissions</a> standards.</li><li>Redoing the fuel economy and emissions standards for cars and light trucks that were <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-cooke/trump-administration-finalizes-car-rule-which-will-worsen-economy-public-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gutted</a> under the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-cooke/trump-administration-finalizes-car-rule-as-handout-to-fossil-fuel-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">last administration</a>, while also moving forward with <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-cooke/under-biden-administration-a-new-decade-has-dawned-passenger-car-regulations-must-keep-up?_ga=2.51189737.1374580234.1611258477-310247935.1607440719" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ambitious standards</a> that will dramatically reduce emissions and increase transportation electrification in the future.</li><li>Reconsidering rollbacks of <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/while-you-werent-looking-energy-efficiency-became-one-of-our-nations-top-energy-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">energy efficiency standards</a>.</li><li>Undoing attacks on <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/epas-brazen-mercury-rule-proposal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mercury and air toxics</a> standards for coal plants.</li><li>Reconsidering changes to the way <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/manipulation-of-benefit-cost-analysis-hides-bodies-in-the-fine-print" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">costs and benefits</a> are calculated.</li><li>Revoking the rule that <a href="https://ucsusa.org/about/news/epa-rule-restricting-science-puts-agencys-mission-risk-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">limits the science</a> that the EPA can use in rulemaking.</li><li>Reestablishing the interagency working group on the "<a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachel-cleetus/the-social-cost-of-carbon-underscores-an-obvious-fact-climate-change-is-costly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">social cost</a> of greenhouse gas emissions to determine the social benefits of limiting global warming as critical input to evaluating regulatory proposals, and requiring an interim SCC, SCN and SCM within 30 days which will be used until final values are published.</li><li>Erasing the shortcutting of <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/derrick-jackson/environmental-racism-in-action-the-trump-administrations-plans-to-gut-nepa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental reviews</a> of federal projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).</li></ul><p>Within 30 days agencies must submit a full list of actions from the last four years that will be considered for review and revision or cancellation within the next year.</p>
<h3>(Measured) Excitement at UCS</h3><p>I danced around the room with my dogs at the push toward restoring NEPA analyses. Doing a thorough NEPA analysis, which the shortcuts held back, means that agencies must seek public input more extensive than just notice and public comment during the rulemaking process. And critically it means that alternatives to a proposed action must be considered and vetted with the public, with the full analysis available to anyone who wants to understand the ramifications of a particular policy action. That includes, now with the new order, considering the impacts of climate change and on environmental justice. We need these analyses and public discussion — they are a key part of decisionmaking in our constitutional democracy.</p><p>I am definitely not the only one at UCS who gets excited by these wonky, technical pronouncements.</p><p>My colleague <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/jonna-hamilton" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonna Hamilton</a> raised a glass to toast the drive to more ambitious fuel economy and emissions standards, saying it's time to ensure that the auto companies make the next generation of vehicles that consumers want to drive. Strong standards will help the transition to electric vehicles, which <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/are-electric-vehicles-really-better-for-the-climate-yes-heres-why" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduce emissions</a>, no matter where they are charged.</p><p><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/rachel-cleetus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rachel Cleetus</a> breathed a sigh of relief that the government will be restoring the use of the social cost of carbon (and the social cost of methane and the social cost of nitrous oxide) for regulatory purposes. And that the Council on Environmental Quality will be updating its guidance on the consideration of greenhouse gases for NEPA analyses. With <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/brenda-ekwurzel/2020-ends-hottest-decade-on-record-decadal-temperature-chart-as-iconic-as-co2-keeling-curve" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 ending the hottest decade on record</a> globally, and bringing a record-breaking <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/record-number-of-billion-dollar-disasters-struck-us-in-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">22 extreme weather and climate related disasters</a> in the US that killed at least 262 people and each cost more than a billion dollars, it's high time we took the costs of climate change seriously!</p><p>And <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/gretchen-goldman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gretchen Goldman</a>, swinging her young sons in the air in joy, was thrilled to see that revoking the limits on science was named as a top priority of the Biden administration! The so-called Transparency Rule would do <a href="https://ucsusa.org/about/news/epa-rule-restricting-science-puts-agencys-mission-risk-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">widespread damage</a> to the EPA's ability to use the best available science on everything from air pollution standards to pesticide regulation. Finding a way to get rid of <a href="https://undark.org/2019/11/21/opinion-trump-epa-transparency-rule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this harmful rule</a> will allow the EPA to fully carry out its mission of protecting public health and the environment.</p><p>This order does a lot more to revoke bad policies. It also calls on the Secretary of the Interior to review the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-monuments">national monuments</a> with a view to restoring them to 2017 boundaries. It declares the environmental review of oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge inadequate, placing a moratorium on leasing. It revokes the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline because it is inconsistent with the economic and climate goals of the new administration. And part of those stated goals as laid out in the policy section of the order includes respecting the voices of the Indigenous communities whose lands, livelihoods, and culture were given short shrift in the permitting process to date.</p>
<h3>Another Less Noticed, Even Wonkier, Remarkable Day One Action</h3><p>Another <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/modernizing-regulatory-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Presidential Directive</a> of critical importance to the mission and work of UCS is titled "Modernizing Regulatory Review." It calls for the Office of Management and Budget, through its Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), to re-focus the role and content of reviews of regulations proposed by federal agencies.</p><p>The new process OIRA is tasked with designing and implementing in consultation with agencies across the government will:</p><ul><li>Reflect new developments in science.</li><li>Fully account for benefits of regulations that are difficult to quantify.</li><li>Take into account the distributional consequences of regulations to ensure they appropriately benefit, and not inappropriately burden, disadvantaged, vulnerable or marginalized communities.</li><li>Find ways for OIRA to work more proactively and effectively with agencies to obtain the benefits to the public that come with regulatory initiatives.</li><li>Improve efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness in the interagency review process.</li></ul><p>For example, consider the review of the previous administration's rules that would limit the science that the EPA can use as the basis for implementing public health protections. That rule requires that the underlying data of any study be publicly available to be fully considered by the agency. That would necessarily exclude studies that rely on confidential health information in most cases, or give those studies lower credence, not on the basis of their scientific merit, but because of an artificial barrier labeled as "transparency" concerns. <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/genna-reed/we-told-omb-why-epas-so-called-transparency-rule-is-a-trap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OIRA has reviewed</a> both the proposed and final rules and deemed them not economically significant, despite the fact that they affect all of the work that EPA does. Under an improved review process, the rule would have never moved through the process because it will in fact overburden, yet again, vulnerable communities.</p><p>Though OIRA's work is often behind the scenes and rarely fully acknowledged, the agency plays a critical role in either advancing or hindering the regulatory process. In order for the Biden administration to meet its goals on climate, the pandemic, racial justice, and economic recovery, that process has to become better and more effective. OIRA involvement must add real value to the benefit of the public. It is heartening and remarkable that this directive is a Day One action of the new administration.</p>
<h3>Toward Real Action</h3><p>By no means do the first executive orders accomplish the huge tasks before this administration. But it is an extraordinarily good start.</p><p>Now these orders need to turn into real actions from top to bottom in the federal government and in partnership with state and tribal governments as well as internationally. None of the challenges we face will be solved without action at all levels.</p><p>Our excitement at UCS is tempered by the enormous amount of work that needs to turn this promising vision into a reality. We will make our voices heard to hold the administration and Congress to account. Please join us in doing so.</p>
<p><em>Andrew Rosenberg is the director of the UCS Center for Science and Democracy.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/andrew-rosenberg/consequential-biden-actions-nobody-is-talking-about" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>
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Water Protectors Arrested in Minnesota After Chaining Themselves Inside Enbridge Line 3 Pipe
15 January
Energy
Environmental activist Winona LaDuke (C) and water protectors stand in front of the construction site for the Line 3 oil pipeline near Palisade, Minnesota, on Jan. 9, 2021. Kerem Yucel / AFP via Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Water protectors were arrested Thursday after halting construction at a Minnesota worksite for Enbridge's Line 3 project by locking themselves together inside a pipe segment.
<p>"After moving to Minnesota to attend college and study environmental science, I was excited to be in a place where people valued protecting the Earth and finding a viable future. What I found, however, was a state that had formed 'ambitious' climate goals yet endorsed one of the dirtiest fossil fuels, tar sands oil," water protector Abby Hornberger said in a statement. "I realized that Indigenous ways of knowing and practicing harmony with the environment are continuously ignored."</p><p>KFGO <a href="https://kfgo.com/2021/01/14/2-arrested-during-latest-line-3-protest/" target="_blank">reports</a> that Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch said two protesters who were taken into custody on Thursday now face charges of trespassing and obstructing.</p>
<p>Hornberger explained that "the Line 3 pipeline far outweighs all clean energy initiatives and progress being made in renewable energies. Line 3 will destroy Minnesota's essential clean water resources for future generations and will ultimately drive us into climate doom. Education and spreading awareness is no longer enough to create meaningful change for me."</p><p>"Enbridge's last-ditch effort to build fossil fuel infrastructure is killing people and the planet. I refuse to be complicit in settler colonialist practices, and feel that I have to put my body on the line to protect Indigenous communities' sovereignty and all of our futures," Hornberger added. "This is not just an issue relevant to some, it affects each of us on a deeper level that goes beyond our daily lives. It determines if we will have a livable future."</p>
<div id="5204b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4238296ced019235c5ebedb5c4188673"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349769464896745473" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Water Protectors Lock Down Inside Line 3 Pipeline to #StopLine3
(Backus, MN) Thursday morn… https://t.co/NWH4lBcyJY</div> — giniw collective (@giniw collective)<a href="https://twitter.com/GiniwCollective/statuses/1349769464896745473">1610645092.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Indigenous and environmental activists have long opposed the Canadian company's efforts to <a href="https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/public-awareness/minnesota-projects/line-3-replacement-project" target="_blank">replace</a> an aging oil pipeline with a larger one running from Alberta, through North Dakota and Minnesota, to Wisconsin — noting Enbridge's <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/resources" target="_blank">track record on spills</a> and that cultural maps <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/14/water-protectors-lock-down-inside-line-3-pipeline?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">indicate</a> "numerous sacred and significant sites lie in the path of the Line 3 project."</p><p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/12/nightmarish-indigenous-and-climate-leaders-outraged-over-minnesota-permits-line-3" target="_blank">has come under fire</a> from Indigenous and climate leaders in recent months as the state has approved key permits that Enbridge needs to complete the new Line 3, especially given the Democratic governor <a href="https://twitter.com/govtimwalz/status/1095374006071504896?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said publicly</a> in February of 2019 that projects like this one "don't just need a building permit to go forward, they also need a social permit."</p><p>As some water protectors on Thursday protested inside a pipe segment a few miles from a man camp in Backus, "dozens more held space," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/14/water-protectors-lock-down-inside-line-3-pipeline?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to</a> the Giniw Collective. The group also pointed out that "Enbridge is working 24 hours per day at several worksites, as a pending injunction to halt work while tribally led lawsuits are heard has yet to be decided."</p>
<p>Water protector Andrew Lee said that he participated in the action against Line 3 on Thursday "to protect the treaties that my ancestors failed to uphold."</p><p>"I've learned over the course of this year that Tim Walz isn't going to protect us, the government of Minnesota isn't going to protect us, and the federal government isn't going to protect us," Lee continued. "I believe it is my duty, as a colonizer and as a person with the privilege, to do so, to put my body on the line to stop the Enbridge Corporation from building this pipeline."</p><p>"It breaks my heart and enrages me to see how these people are desecrating the Earth and the lengths they will go to leech every last dollar they can from its surface," they said. "But for as much as I'm here in anger and fear, I'm also here in love."</p>
<p>Thursday's action came after eight people were arrested on Saturday, when <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/news/january092021" target="_blank">scores</a> of water protectors and Anishinaabe jingle dress dancers gathered at the Mississippi River, then walked onto a Line 3 worksite. <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/news/january092021" target="_blank">According to</a> a statement from organizers:</p><blockquote>After praying and sharing a healing jingle dance, water protectors went to Haypoint, Minnesota, where Enbridge is actively boring under Highway 169 on its way to the Willow and Mississippi Rivers.<br>Construction stopped as water protectors held space and documented <a href="https://fb.watch/2YA1x0szE0/" target="_blank">irregularities</a> in the pipe being put into the ground. Nearly 30 police squad cars from multiple counties and the Department of Natural Resources were onsite.</blockquote>
<p>The statement, which confirmed the eight arrests, also said that "one arresting officer in a Cass County uniform without a badge refused to put on a face mask and grinned at the crowd as he held a zip-tied water protector. Enbridge's worksites and man camps have quickly become hotspots for Covid-19 in Aitkin County."</p><p>While critics of Line 3 and similar projects have long raised health and safety concerns — including about the <a href="https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/native-american-and-women-s-organizations-request-un-help-on-sexual-violence-_srxHIWjqEmyrmz9OPMmZw" target="_blank">well-documented connection</a> between man camps and the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women — the pandemic, which has hit Indigenous communities hard, has further fueled opposition.</p><p>"We saw Minnesota's police officers protecting a Canadian tar sands pipeline being built by mostly out-of-state workers, for sale on foreign market," said Tara Houska, founder of Giniw Collective. "We need good-paying jobs up north that don't require us to destroy our environment. Where is the investment in the north land? Where is the upholding of treaty rights? Where is the Walz administration on this pandemic pipeline?"</p>
<div id="94ce5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="384e44bc9a6701e11c25627380232d6f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1347984613700984833" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We are here to protect the water. Hundreds of us today at the Rally for the Rivers and more every day. We will… https://t.co/ww5HOuF6ZI</div> — MN350 (@MN350)<a href="https://twitter.com/MN_350/statuses/1347984613700984833">1610219550.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Activists are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/15/biden-urged-stand-against-line-3-water-protectors-battle-dirty-tar-sands-pipeline" target="_blank">calling on</a> President-elect Joe Biden to stand up for those "on the frontlines of fossil fuel racism and the climate crisis" by stopping Line 3. On Thursday, more than 75 Indigenous women leaders <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/14/over-75-indigenous-women-urge-biden-stop-climate-wrecking-pipelines-and-respect" target="_blank">wrote</a> to the next president, urging him to block Line 3 and two other projects that "pose grave threats to Indigenous rights, cultural survival, sacred water and land, the global climate, and the public health crises within our communities, which have been greatly exacerbated by Covid-19."</p><p>As Houska, Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe and a signatory to the letter, put it: "The Biden administration can uphold their climate justice claims by acting to stop Line 3, stop Keystone XL, and stop Dakota Access Pipeline, now."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/14/arrests-minnesota-after-water-protectors-chain-themselves-inside-pipe-section-halt" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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A wind turbine on the tip of Hull, Massachusetts, with the Boston skyline in the distance on Dec. 28, 2005. Tom Herde / The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is reviewing sweeping legislation to reduce the commonwealth's greenhouse gas pollution, spur clean energy jobs, electrify buildings, and protect communities disproportionately harmed by pollution.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The <a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2995?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9KLjgqy8pzY2U2CYNVQIQULbQKL7CfLUGUKnezJgxcf2Q2rd1QIDZh_7gutpKG-EMMAVsFtDcpnUXyaY8Y2ZNeCaR5TA&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bill</a> passed by 38-2 vote in the State Senate and in the House 145-9, but Baker has not committed to signing the bill and could use a pocket veto to let it die following the conclusion of the legislative session overnight. In addition to mandating net-zero greenhouse gas pollution by 2050, the legislation would also boost offshore <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> energy and codify the definition of "environmental justice populations." </p>
<p>It would increase fines for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines">pipeline</a> safety violations, following a deadly series of explosions in late 2018. The bill's passage follows Gov. Baker's release of plans to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution by 2050, ban the sale of new internal combustion cars by 2035, and electrify heating in 1 million homes.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-bills-climate-change-legislation-environment-83e5c30f59ad676eb45a437e614276ad?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6Uxh9lYGafUMkX2MNHNSghxjQGZ6s3IkzedxIjlPlsfp7D4WDL211OYOmd9MEBsILRr_mn3UYZ-g4l38pOdvRQ_Q4TA&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>:</p><blockquote>The focus on pipeline safety follows the series of explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover in September 2018 that killed one person, injured almost two dozen and damaged more than 100 buildings. Federal investigators blamed the explosions on overpressurized gas lines.<br></blockquote><blockquote>The explosions led to a $56 million settlement between Massachusetts and Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and its parent, NiSource last year.</blockquote><blockquote>Newly elected Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano said the bill sends the message Massachusetts "will empower our environmental justice communities, achieve net zero emissions by 2050, continue to lead on offshore wind, increase equitable access to our clean energy programs, and create pathways to clean energy jobs for underserved and low-income communities."</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-bills-climate-change-legislation-environment-83e5c30f59ad676eb45a437e614276ad?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6Uxh9lYGafUMkX2MNHNSghxjQGZ6s3IkzedxIjlPlsfp7D4WDL211OYOmd9MEBsILRr_mn3UYZ-g4l38pOdvRQ_Q4TA&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2021/01/05/stories/1063721767?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--PQepwlFHXxfaJxaL3K0aJre2GRaLDjYJGkSL5Wdt45SE9hH3sYRxTIL2eYcs0lJzHM4wvysho6nbovV6nR_1B2ZIUCA&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E</a>, <a href="https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2021/01/05/climate-bill-gas-safety-massachusetts?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--BjjEGbH1BQsAGO3bDGjvdvokNJxJqpTp_0gOL8oXhLGcsZFLosb2duRh62K8wkyKiHvFcAG6FINAQLF1ZDK5l0XjKlQ&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">WBUR</a>, <a href="https://www.masslive.com/politics/2021/01/massachusetts-lawmakers-send-climate-bill-that-would-reduce-states-carbon-footprint-to-gov-charlie-bakers-desk.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_EJqBW5drcdi1xdaXgV74lD2mEi76E59DjoBEgl3epycNQvM1OKOfAEc9-0_3yKt7lH3gJV9N8teoX5ewQL6vollFLRg&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">MassLive</a>, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/04/business/heres-look-winners-losers-states-far-reaching-climate-bill/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_NMxxZ-fHQ6jsCZp00Awb6aMiMWbXC7jlz0xrnAY0Amrd_27zXaI_-YcoQ4J6DRwhGs8Sgin5dgXbrdd2zd62qdJ6ZPw&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>; Baker administration plan: <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/532684-massachusetts-to-require-100-percent-of-car-sales-to-be?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6SokBlmv5bkR_VOOxrXyz_QDE620lP0FEvk5yQ4Za6N6w627opWE8Osv818jshcslgoEGRauBIUW8Se5duX-b9lAE7A&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35104768/massachusetts-ban-new-gas-cars-2035/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105503272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8pxvLRV4Wzz2qeF-GRhWuBk0lrQqWicE5NkDJrvjOPlf1nX2FV0PNQN7306HxCnK08sjeOS1QrCtoCRn4ZF8LZwXBPnw&utm_content=105503272&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Car & Driver</a><span></span></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
Environmentalists Applaud Biden Selections of Granholm, McCarthy for Key Climate Posts
16 December 2020
Politics
Jennifer Granholm speaks on Sept. 10, 2009 in Wixom, Michigan. As governor of Michigan, Granholm worked to redevelop the abandoned Ford Wixom Assembly Plant into a renewable energy park. Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
By Jake Johnson
Grassroots environmental groups that have been demanding a Cabinet dedicated to pursuing an ambitious climate agenda applauded President-elect Joe Biden's reported decision to nominate former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department and Natural Resources Defense Council head Gina McCarthy to serve as national climate adviser.
<p>"These selections are a major victory for the broad and diverse movement pushing Joe Biden to keep top contenders with dangerous <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> ties out of his Cabinet and administration," Collin Rees, senior campaigner at Oil Change U.S., said in a statement shortly after news of the picks broke Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>"Gina McCarthy is a proven climate advocate with the experience to hit the ground running and coordinate an all-of-government response to the climate crisis," said Rees. "Jennifer Granholm is an experienced leader with a strong record of support for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> and opposition to the disastrous Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines."</p><p>Biden's selections came on the heels of reports that the president-elect was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/planet-stake-climate-coalition-pressures-biden-reject-corporate-shill-ernest-moniz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considering returning</a> industry-friendly former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to his old post, a move environmentalists warned would spell disaster for the hopes of a transformative climate agenda. As Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/planet-stake-climate-coalition-pressures-biden-reject-corporate-shill-ernest-moniz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> late last month, dozens of environmental groups mobilized in an effort to dissuade Biden from picking Moniz — or anyone else with ties to the fossil fuel industry.</p><p>"Shout out to all the grassroots groups who opposed his nomination and opened up the space for more ambitious policy," <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1338977397283033090" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Jamie Henn, director of Fossil Free Media.</p>
<p>Celebrating Biden's picks as highly encouraging, Henn pointed to a 2016 event at which Granholm was asked whether she sided "with the Standing Rock Sioux in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline."</p><p>"Yes, I do," Granholm said. "We ought to be doing everything we possibly can to keep fossil fuel energy in the ground and developing the renewable side."</p><p>If confirmed as energy secretary, <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1338977771721084928" target="_blank">said</a> Henn, Granholm's "first order of business should be shutting down DAPL, KXL, Line 3, Line 5, and other dangerous fossil fuel projects."</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0bea4d34df7f40a0ea02a1a66a57a795"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ftsuX44dEUA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Climate activists also praised Biden's reported plan to nominate McCarthy, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) administrator, as White House climate coordinator, a position that does not require Senate confirmation. Biden has not yet decided on his nominee for EPA chief.</p><p>"Congrats to Gina McCarthy, who has been a great partner and ally to the Sunrise Movement," <a href="https://twitter.com/evanlweber/status/1339031146550734850" target="_blank">said</a> Evan Weber, Sunrise's political director. "She has listened and worked alongside us to push for Joe Biden to be bolder and braver. We'll have to continue to push — that's what movements do — but good to know we'll have an ear."</p>
<p>Natalie Mebane, associate director of policy at 350.org, said in a statement late Tuesday that the president-elect's picks are "positive steps," describing Granholm and McCarthy as "two powerhouse leaders who will stick to a bold and ambitious climate agenda."</p><p>"We look forward to working with both McCarthy and Granholm to reverse course on four years of climate destruction and meet the scale of the climate crisis," said Mebane.</p><p>Rees of Oil Change U.S. added that "Joe Biden's entire government must be dedicated to mobilizing for an end to the fossil fuel era, and these announcements are a step in the right direction."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/16/two-powerhouse-leaders-environmentalists-applaud-biden-selections-granholm-mccarthy" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Kinder Morgan Pipeline Spills up to 42,000 Gallons of Gasoline Into California Drainage Canal
11 December 2020
Energy
A pipeline leaked tens of thousands of gallons of gasoline into a waterway in Walnut Creek, California. California Office of Spill Prevention and Response / Facebook
A Kinder Morgan pipeline leaked tens of thousands of gallons of gasoline into a waterway in Walnut Creek, California, prompting concerns from residents worried about the company's safety record.
<p>Locals are mistrustful of the company after a 2004 explosion on the same line killed five construction workers and injured four others, the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/42-000-gallons-of-gasoline-leaks-into-Walnut-15790022.php?converted=1" target="_blank">San Francisco Chronicle pointed out</a>. In this case, area residents say they saw Kinder Morgan respond to the spill before they were informed of what was happening.</p><p>"They scared quite a few people on this street and no one was saying anything," Matt Dooling told the San Francisco Chronicle. "This happened right where the 2004 explosion happened, so when they say that it's not dangerous, we don't really believe them."</p>
<p>The story began Nov. 20 when company officials first noticed a pressure drop on part of the pipeline that runs between Concord and San Jose, <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/09/walnut-creek-pipeline-crack-leaks-30-40k-gallons-of-gasoline-into-channel/" target="_blank">The Mercury News reported</a>. They shut down portions of the pipeline at the time, but then a worker reported the smell and appearance of gas in a drainage canal Dec. 2.</p><p>"We immediately shut down the pipeline and isolated the area," Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Melissa Ruiz told The Mercury News.</p><p>Dooling told the San Francisco Chronicle that he observed Kinder Morgan workers examining the canal Dec. 2 while walking with his daughter, but that he and other neighbors were not given an explanation until days later.</p><p>Officials first thought the two incidents were not connected, but later determined that tree roots had wrapped around the pipeline, causing it to crack and gasoline to leak out. The gasoline had then travelled about a mile and a half downstream to the canal. It moved along a gravel bed beneath the canal's concrete bottom. All told, an estimated 31,500 to 42,000 gallons of gasoline leaked out, <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/12/09/underground-gasoline-spill-in-walnut-creek-prompts-federal-state-investigations/" target="_blank">CBS SF reported</a>.</p>
<p>The incident has prompted an investigation and cleanup operation involving multiple agencies. There are no reports that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> has been harmed, but crews continue to observe local animals.</p><p>"If more of the fuel reached the canal, we would have a bigger problem with wildlife potentially being impacted," Eric Laughlin, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told The Mercury News. "Since a lot of it is still underground, it's not as catastrophic as it would be if it were in open water."</p><p>The canal is also designed to control flooding and does not feed into public drinking water.</p>
<p>It is not yet known when the cleanup will be complete, but the pipeline was expected to resume operations Wednesday, Ruiz said.</p><p>Kinder Morgan is one of the nation's largest energy companies and manages around 83,000 miles of gas pipeline. It was the owner of the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline and its planned expansion until the Canadian government <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/canada-kinder-morgan-pipeline-2573283566.html" target="_self">purchased both</a> in 2018.</p><p>After the 2004 explosion, it was found that Kinder Morgan had failed to mark a bend in its pipeline. This enabled it to be pierced while a water main was being installed, sending a fireball seven stories into the air, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Kinder Morgan was found guilty of six felonies in 2007 and ordered to pay $15 million. It also paid tens of millions of dollars in reparations to victims and other fines.</p>
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Indigenous-Led Water Protectors Take Direct Action Against Minnesota Tar Sands Pipeline
07 December 2020
Energy
Several hundred people gathered on the shore of Gichi-gami (Lake Superior) in Duluth, Minnesota to protest the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline, on Sept. 28, 2019. Fibonacci Blue / CC BY 2.0
By Brett Wilkins
Indigenous-led water protectors on Friday engaged in multiple direct actions against Enbridge's highly controversial Line 3 tar sands pipeline in Minnesota, on the same day that state regulators denied a request from two tribes to stop the Canadian company from proceeding with the project.
<p><br/></p>
<p>Water protectors blocked pipeline traffic and climbed and occupied trees as part of Friday's actions. Urging other Indigenous peoples and allies to "take a stand," the Anishinaabe activists at one of the protests told other Native Americans that "your ancestors are here too."</p><p>"Take a moment to speak to her, our Mother Earth is crying out for the warriors to rise again," they said. "Strong hearts to the front!"</p><p>In a statement, Line 3 Media Collective said that the pipeline "violates the treaty rights of Anishinaabe peoples by endangering critical natural resources in the 1854, 1855, and 1867 treaty areas, where the Ojibwe have the right to hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, harvest wild rice, and preserve sacred sites."</p>
<div id="12644" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e217e50d1a35deeae9a1f2c91ac20728"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1334951555070562313" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@GovTimWalz what happened to the executive order you signed to work with the tribes and have a solid working relati… https://t.co/NeoHwUWq1y</div> — WinonaLaDuke (@WinonaLaDuke)<a href="https://twitter.com/WinonaLaduke/statuses/1334951555070562313">1607112227.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="6b46a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1b4361f5348d43d24d80f55192abef5c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1334944778069356552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Become a part of our movement to #StopLine3! https://t.co/25nGfGtxPI</div> — Resist Line 3 (@Resist Line 3)<a href="https://twitter.com/ResistLine3/statuses/1334944778069356552">1607110611.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="f1740" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6703445b1f45a3649cad408d314fb906"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1334878831476428806" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: Two water protectors in trees block Enbridge from constructing a Line 3 drill pad under the Mississippi R… https://t.co/hr9raw4X0b</div> — giniw collective (@giniw collective)<a href="https://twitter.com/GiniwCollective/statuses/1334878831476428806">1607094888.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"The state of Minnesota does not have the consent of many tribes that will be impacted by construction and spills," the group added. "Last week, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and the White Earth Band petitioned the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to pause its approval of Line 3 construction while challenges to the permits are considered by the Minnesota Court of Appeals."</p><p>On Friday, the MPUC <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/minnesota-regulators-deny-request-to-delay-line-3-pipeline/2020/12/04/97774332-366c-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html" target="_blank">voted</a> 4-1 to reject the tribes' request.<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/minnesota-regulators-deny-request-to-delay-line-3-pipeline/2020/12/04/97774332-366c-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> According to</a> The Washington Post,the commissioners said that further delays would hurt workers who had traveled to northern Minnesota. They also cited Democratic Gov. Tim Walz's designation of the project as "critical" during the coronavirus pandemic. </p>
<div id="872a6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f42dfbd90c28ba5f8d489e843c748f0b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1334869896757469194" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">MN Chippewa Tribe comprised of 6-Bands sends an appeal letter to @GovTimWalz urging his administration to… https://t.co/hfuycNFArJ</div> — Honor the Earth (@Honor the Earth)<a href="https://twitter.com/HonorTheEarth/statuses/1334869896757469194">1607092758.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>On Thursday, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) appealed directly to Walz:</p><blockquote>Indian people have lived along the lakes, rivers, and streams of northern Minnesota since time immemorial. The people of the MCT have flourished in the area for centuries due to the careful conservation of our resources. Clean water and unpolluted land capable of providing sustenance is essential to our survival... [and] Line 3 poses an existential threat to our well-being. </blockquote><p>The vote and the water protectors' latest act of resistance come just two days after construction began on the <a href="https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/projects/line-3-replacement-program-us" target="_blank">$2.9 billion</a>, 1,100-mile extension.</p><p><a href="http://www.honorearth.org/sandpiper_line_3_corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to</a> Indigenous-led environmental group Honor the Earth, the pipeline will have the daily capacity to transport 760,000 barrels of tar sands oil — known as the <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/tar-sands-dirtiest-fuel-in-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">world's dirtiest fuel</a> — from Alberta, Canada to a port in Superior, Wisconsin. Stop Line 3 says the pipeline will run "through untouched wetlands and the treaty territory of Anishinaabe peoples."</p><p>"We have the right to practice our treaty rights," stressed Gitchigumi Scout member Taysha Martineau, one of the Indigenous leaders at the Friday action. "We ask you to bear witness and protect our right to do so."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/04/strong-hearts-front-indigenous-water-protectors-take-direct-action-against-minnesota?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Biden Urged to 'Honor Indigenous Sovereignty and Immediately Halt' Fossil Fuel Pipelines
26 November 2020
Popular
Protestors walk past an image of a Native American woman during a march to "Count Every Vote, Protect Every Person" after the U.S. presidential Election in Seattle, Washington on November 4. Jason Redmond / AFP / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A leading environmental advocacy group marked Native American Heritage Month on Wednesday by urging President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Kamala Harris, and the entire incoming administration "to honor Indigenous sovereignty and immediately halt the Keystone XL, Dakota Access, and Line 3 pipelines."
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">That call from 350.org U.S. communications director Thanu Yakupitiyage for Indigenous <a href="https://landback.org/" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> came just ahead of Thanksgiving in the U.S. and as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities across the country — with more than 12.7 million COVID-19 cases and over 261,000 deaths nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon.</span></p>
<p>"As we embark on a just recovery from the compound crises of climate disasters, racist police brutality, economic injustice, and Covid-19, we are in a pivotal moment of reckoning that requires us to ground in the history of the United States as a country built on stolen Indigenous land by stolen Black and African labor," Yakupitiyage said.</p><p>"As we act to stop state-sanctioned violence against Black and Brown communities," she continued, "we also acknowledge the decades and centuries of white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism that continue to have devastating and genocidal impacts on the lives, livelihoods, and traditions of Native and Indigenous communities across the United States, North America, and around the world."</p><p>The activist drew attention to three controversial pipelines against which Indigenous people <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/brutal-memories-standing-rock-stop-line-3-campaigners-wary-rule-barring" target="_blank">have led</a> the opposition, highlighting some of the destructive impacts that such projects have on Native communities and lands, in addition to the climate effects.</p><p>"Fossil fuel executives and racist climate criminals continue to assault treaty rights and Indigenous sovereignty, attempting to ram toxic and unnecessary pipelines like Keystone XL, Dakota Access, and Line 3 through sacred Indigenous land and waters, while perpetuating threats and violence against Indigenous womxn, girls, and two-spirit people," said Yakupitiyage.</p>
<div id="ef565" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9cdfa0e287c7703a509672ed361c63a4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331660175024001025" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We are seeing day in and day out black and brown organizers across Minnesota gather to resist the Line 3 pipeline t… https://t.co/FDHSaEDRpJ</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1331660175024001025">1606327501.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"Transformative climate solutions to truly tackle the root of climate change require systemic action to decolonize from the very systems that have created the crisis in the first place," she added. "Our leap toward a just recovery must start with honoring treaties with sovereign Indigenous nations and returning land back to Native peoples. The time is now for meaningful care and repair."</p><p>For months, 350.org has spearheaded global calls for a just recovery from the pandemic — <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/30/ahead-may-day-500-groups-worldwide-demand-just-and-visionary-recovery-covid-19" target="_blank">demanding</a> that policymakers prioritize human health, provide economic relief directly to the people, help workers and communities rather than corporate executives, work to create resilience for future crises, and build solidarity across borders.</p><p>Yakupitiyage's comments centering Indigenous communities in relation to a just recovery come as Biden is facing calls from Native Americans and climate campaigners to consider appointing Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), a member of Pueblo of Laguna, as his interior secretary. Two years ago, she and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) became the first two Native American women elected to Congress.</p>
<div id="defe7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f8197a96f6d6b3f20364ebc2044701d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1329136271717851136" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When we say #landback, it means fundamentally undoing the harm that has been done to Indian Ppl...appointing an Ind… https://t.co/I7y4j0MvdU</div> — NDN Collective (@NDN Collective)<a href="https://twitter.com/ndncollective/statuses/1329136271717851136">1605725755.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Broadly, Biden is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/20/new-no-corporate-cabinet-campaign-pushes-biden-pick-people-who-will-advance-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">facing</a> pressure from progressives — and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/new-poll-shows-68-americans-want-senators-block-any-corporate-biden-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">public opinion</a> — to stock the next administration, including his Cabinet, with people committed to serving in the public interest rather than corporate insiders. Earlier this month, the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats launched a campaign that includes Cabinet suggestions; Haaland is among them.</p><p>"A visionary secretary of the interior has enormous latitude to crack down on giveaways to fossil fuel corporations, like permits to drill for oil on public lands and in public waters. With a progressive leader at the helm, we can make real progress," the groups explain on the campaign website.</p><p>"As the first Native American to hold this position, Rep. Deb Haaland would usher in a new era of Indigenous authority over stolen land," they added. "She is a fierce ally of our movement who has fought for renewable energy job creation in the House as vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands."</p>
<div id="5b957" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="519eba91a8fc7d7ef319cba86cf1960f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331383407255969792" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Secretary of the Interior oversees the management and conservation of federal lands.
Who better to head the de… https://t.co/f1IJwNd1Bt</div> — Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@Sunrise Movement 🌅)<a href="https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/statuses/1331383407255969792">1606261514.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Haaland <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937756927/rep-haaland-cabinet-pick-would-mean-a-lot-to-indian-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discussed</a> the potential nomination on NPR this week, telling Rachel Martin, "First of all, it would mean a lot to Indian Country."</p><p>"When Sharice [Davids] and I got sworn in, everybody was so happy," said the congresswoman. "It means a lot to a group of people who have been here since time immemorial to know that they're truly being represented. I think it would really change the way people see our federal government."</p><p>"Being able to listen," Haaland added, "being able to move issues forward, bringing people to the table — I think that would make a huge difference."</p><p>From Arizona to Wisconsin, reporters have highlighted in the messy aftermath of Election Day that Native voters were key contributors to Biden's victory over President Donald Trump, who has yet to formally concede even though the transition process is already underway.</p>
<div id="cedbb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fd66c0f753f0ad581dcb839602f0738c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1329876320470360068" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW from me for @CBSNews: Native American turnout in Arizona surged this year. Biden won Arizona by nearly 12,000 v… https://t.co/sMmk2La1nw</div> — Grace Segers (@Grace Segers)<a href="https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/statuses/1329876320470360068">1605902197.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="e082d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8f5d07fe514d9d2156acd08cd74909c3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330489726516793348" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When we talk about the rural vote, remember that it is incredibly diverse, and that Democrats can and must recogniz… https://t.co/TNDWMHgT0L</div> — John Nichols (@John Nichols)<a href="https://twitter.com/NicholsUprising/statuses/1330489726516793348">1606048444.0</a></blockquote></div><p>After election-callers and major news networks named Biden the winner, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez <a href="https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/the-native-vote-turned-out-so-today-it-s-celebration-F77qX2eKZ0mGV-SJhcxz9g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released</a> a statement noting the significance of the Native vote.</p><p>"The First Americans of this country, including a large majority of Navajo voters, had a major impact in the outcome of the presidential election in several swing states — that needs to be recognized and acknowledged by all," he said. "Both campaigns fought hard for Native American votes, particularly Navajo votes, and that's truly a reflection of the growing influence and power of tribal nations across the country."</p><p>Nez, who met with Biden and Harris to discuss tribal policy, added that "the Navajo Nation now looks forward to working together with the Biden-Harris administration to put that plan into action."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/biden-urged-honor-indigenous-sovereignty-and-immediately-halt-fossil-fuel-pipelines" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Michigan Governor Moves to Prevent Great Lakes Oil Spill by Shutting Down Aging Pipeline
16 November 2020
Energy
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Celebrates Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week, on Aug. 14, 2020. Michigan EGLE / YouTube
Enbridge's aging Line 5 pipeline may finally be forced into retirement.
<p>Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger informed Enbridge Friday that they were revoking the Canadian company's easement to run twin <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" target="_self">pipelines</a> under the Straits of Mackinac, which divide Lakes Michigan and Huron, the <a href="https://eu.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/11/13/whitmer-revoke-enbridge-line-5-oil-pipeline-easement/6277027002/" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press reported</a>.</p><p>"Here in Michigan, the Great Lakes define our borders, but they also define who we are as people," Whitmer said in a statement reported by the Detroit Free Press. "Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water" target="_self">drinking water</a> and good jobs."</p><p>The Line 5 pipeline has carried <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> beneath the Straits since 1953, when it was granted an easement to do so by the state of Michigan. It currently carries 23 million gallons of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> each day through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, splits in two to transport it beneath the lakes and then carries it in another single pipeline through the Lower Peninsula into Ontario.</p>
<p>Whitmer argued that Enbridge had violated the terms of the easement by ignoring structural problems that increased the risk of a devastating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-spill" target="_self">oil spill</a> in the Lakes. For example, Enbridge was aware that a section of the underwater coating on the twin pipelines was damaged in 2014 but did not inform the state for three years. Whitmer is giving the company until May of 2021 to cease operations in the Straits.</p><p>At the same time, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a complaint in Ingham County Circuit Court asking the judge to uphold the governor's action, <a href="https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/11/enbridge-line-5-ordered-shut-down-by-michigan-gov-whitmer.html" target="_blank">Michigan Live reported</a>.</p><p>Whitmer contends that the pipelines violate the "public trust" doctrine, which entrusts Michigan with protecting the bottom of the Great Lakes for its residents.</p>
<p>"Transporting millions of gallons of petroleum products each day through two 67-year old pipelines that lie exposed in the Straits below uniquely vulnerable and busy shipping lanes presents an extraordinary, unreasonable threat to public rights because of the very real risk of further anchor strikes and other external impacts to the Pipelines, the inherent risks of pipeline operations, and the foreseeable, catastrophic effects if an oil spill occurs at the Straits," the notice she sent to the company read.<br></p><p>Enbridge, however, countered that the pipelines remained safe.</p><p>"This notice and the report from Michigan Department of Natural Resources are a distraction from the fundamental facts," Enbridge Liquids Pipelines Executive Vice President and President Vern Yu said in a statement reported by Michigan Live.</p><p>Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also opposed the move.</p><p>"The impact of this would be devastating," Kenney said, as <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7464389/enbridge-line-5-pipeline-michigan/" target="_blank">Global News reported</a>. "It is the single largest supply of gasoline ultimately in southern Ontario, for aviation fuel out of the Detroit airport, for heating fuel in northern Michigan, for the refineries in northern Ohio that fuel much of the midwest U.S. economy, so this is a very very big deal."</p>
<p>However, environmental groups, who have long raised alarms about the pipeline, praised Whitmer's decision.</p><p>"Line 5 should have never been built in the first place," Mike Shriberg, regional executive director of the <a href="https://www.nwf.org/great-lakes" target="_blank">National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center</a>, told the Detroit Free Press. "Gov. Whitmer is now bravely, and correctly, standing up for the Great Lakes. This is a legacy-defining action by the governor. She is standing on the side not only of clean water, but clean energy and the jobs that go along with the transition to a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/renewable-energy" target="_self">renewable energy</a> economy."</p><p>The National Wildlife Federation <a href="https://blog.nwf.org/2020/11/a-win-a-decade-in-the-making-governor-whitmer-moves-to-shut-down-line-5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">noted</a> that another Enbridge pipeline was responsible in 2010 for one of the worst inland oil spills in U.S. history, when its Line 6b spilled more than one million gallons of tar sands into 40 miles of the Kalamazoo River.</p>
<p>Whitmer's action will not immediately affect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/enbridge-line-5-replacement-2609955963.html" target="_self">plans to replace</a> Line 5 with a new pipeline to be installed in a tunnel drilled into the bedrock beneath the Straits, according to Global News. The deal to build the replacement was struck between Enbridge and Whitmer's predecessor Republican Rick Snyder. However, Enbridge is still in the process of seeking state and federal permits for the project.</p><p>Environmental groups oppose the replacement as well, arguing that the Great Lakes would be vulnerable to spills during the seven to 10 year construction process and that there are better ways to meet Michigan's energy needs. Now, Shriberg argued that Whitmer's shutdown of the existing pipelines would bolster the case of those who oppose their replacement.</p><p>"Enbridge could still go ahead with their current tunnel proposal, but it's going to be much harder to prove to regulators there's a need if Line 5 is already shut down," he told the Detroit Free Press.</p>
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