Groups ask Upton to remember the Enbridge oil spill
Upton promises work on pipeline safety legislation
By Eartha Jane Melzer | 01.26.11
When Enbridge’s Lakehead 6B pipeline spilled a million gallons of tar sands crude into the river that runs through the heart of Rep. Fred Upton’s (R-St. Joseph) district last year, the congressman pledged aggressive action to protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Six months later the Kalamazoo River remains closed due to contamination and Upton, now chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, seems more focused on combating federal environmental regulations than following up on the oil spill.
During his 24 year tenure in Congress Upton earned a reputation as a moderate on environmental issues, authoring legislation to phase out energy wasting light bulbs and acknowledging the need to address climate change. Among Republicans he earned the 12th highest lifetime ranking from the League of Conservation Voters.
Since deciding to run for the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee, however, Upton seems to have realigned himself with the interests of the oil and gas industry. He has indicated the committee’s top priority will be stopping U.S. Environmental Protection Agency climate regulations and industrial pollution rules. And despite the oil spill in his home state, he has urged the U.S. State Dept. to give swift approval to an expansion of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline, which would double imports of crude from the Canadian tar sands.
In a teleconference on Tuesday several state environmental groups called on Upton to hold Enbridge accountable for the damage caused in Michigan and to use his new position as chair of the Energy Committee to advance cleaner, safer energy options.
“Chairman Upton has signaled strongly that he is actually going to be challenging EPA’s ability to protect health and well being and efforts to move off fossil fuels,“ said Anne Woiwode, Director of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. “We are asking him to reconsider his approach to these issues.”
Woiwode said that Upton should remember that EPA‘s actions to contain the Enbridge oil spill kept the oil from traveling all the way through the Kalamazoo River and into Lake Michigan.
“I hope that he takes the lessons learned [from the oil spill] and helps protect our nation from the inherent risk of expanding on fossil fuels like the Alberta tar sands,” said Beth Wallace, the National Wildlife Federation’s community outreach regional coordinator.
Marshall resident Susan Connolly watched her two young children develop health problems as oil streamed through their community over the summer. Her family also lost their child care provider when the PlayCare Learning Center closed as a result of the oil spill.
Connolly traveled to Washington to testify before the House hearing on Enbridge oil spill convened by former Rep. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) in September.
“For the last 8 years our own government knew of the flagrant violations by Enbridge,” said Connolly. “I’m hoping Upton and our new congressman will take action.”
Upton should use his power to get transportation agencies to enforce their own regulations, make pipeline operators divulge what they are transporting, and require regular, company paid emergency response training in all counties that pipelines cross, Connolly said. He should also push for criminal charges against those responsible for the pipeline rupture.
“None of us have forgotten the hard-learned lessons of the Enbridge oil spill disaster in southwest Michigan,“ he replied in a statement. “As we seek to responsibly meet our growing energy needs, pipeline safety is a matter of critical national importance. I am committed to giving this matter the serious attention it deserves and will be working toward the reauthorization of meaningful pipeline safety legislation this Congress.”
http://michiganmessenger.com/45991/groups-ask-upton-to-remember-the-enbr...
