Mt. Wonalancet, NH, not far from the route of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline (photo: Chris Schoenboem)

Fighting back against Big Oil

Fortunately, New Englanders aren’t known to let themselves get trampled on. Local conservation groups, public health experts and many others has been fighting back against Exxon, bringing widespread attention to the project — enough that we have the support of nearly the entire Congressional delegation from those three states (Senator Ayotte, we’re still waiting on ya). We even managed to get 1,500 people to a rally in Portland back in frigid January, the biggest gathering of any kind in 25 years. Suffice to say, New Englanders care, and we don’t want this dangerous substance pumped through our rivers and forests, threatening species like moose and black bears and contributing to climate change.

The problem is, the US State Department (which is tasked with overseeing the pipeline) doesn’t necessarily notice anything amiss and hasn’t the told the company it can’t proceed without a new permit. The State Department needs to make it clear: if Exxon wants to bring poisonous, climate-wrecking tar sands across Northern New England, the impacts are going to be given a hard look and approval is going to needed. It’s a common sense requirement, just making sure we know the threats and the particulars before giving the green light to Exxon, but State hasn’t gotten involved yet because the company hasn’t made a formal proposal.

And that’s the catch-22: unless the State Department tells them to formalize their plans, Exxon might never get around to filing the paperwork — and they’ve already told regional officials they don’t have to. They’re more than happy to act like the cartoon cat burping up feathers, shrugging its shoulders when you ask what happened to Tweety Bird. But this is real life, and New Englanders want to protect their region and wildlife from spills and climate change.  All risk and no reward does not interest New Hampshire, or Vermont or Maine for that matter.

Mr. Smith (and a bunch more) goes to Washington

New England and DC — culture-wise — may sometimes feel like oil and water, but when actual oil and actual water are in the mix, it’s worth a trip to the nation’s capitol. On Monday, a group from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont came down to Washington, DC to tell their stories to State Department officials in person. It wasn’t your usual DC lobby trip: Fishermen, retired oil industry lawyers, and a handful of conservationists all made the rounds of Capitol Hill, meeting with agencies and Congressional offices with a simple request: Can someone PLEASE make sure this tar sands plan is carefully reviewed?

Our hometown lobby team at the State Department (photo: Peter LaFontaine/NWF)

Pushing toxic, spill-prone tar sands through Exxon’s pipeline across Maine is an all-risk, no-reward proposition. The health of Maine people, our economy, and our way of life, depend on clean water for drinking, tourism, our fishing industry, and recreation. - Lisa Pohlmann, Natural Resources Council of Maine

We plan to keep the heat on Exxon and the State Department, and our group also got a chance to sit down with (deep breath…) the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, to talk about updating our nation’s safety standards for tar sands projects like the Northeast pipeline and Keystone XL. After Mayflower — and Kalamazoo, before that — we can’t trust the industry to operate safely, or even to tell us what they have planned for our back yards.

It can be hard to tell with federal agencies, but I think State got the message.

Tell the US State Department to protect New England’s wildlife and communities from this dangerous and polluting project. Say “NO!” to the Portland-Montreal tar sands pipeline.

NTSB Photo – Ruptured Enbridge tar sands pipeline, Line 6B

Big Oil is trying to keep this project under the radar and avoid a scrutinizing presidential permitting process. A presidential permit is required for any project that crosses the American border and since the Exxon & Enbridge pipeline would cross into Canada, the permit requires that the administration assess the project and allow for public discussion (think Keystone XL).

Exxon & Enbridge Pipeline Project Under Scrutiny

Legislators from Vermont, Maine, & New Hampshire are joining tens of thousands of Northeast residents in speaking out against this proposed project. Out of the 12 northeast congressional members in the pipeline right of way states (VT, ME, NH), only Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire has yet to stand with her community in opposing the project. Members are sending letter after letter after letter urging Secretary Kerry to require a new presidential permit for the proposed Exxon & Enbridge pipeline project.

When Senators Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine were visited by the tar sands lobby (including the pipeline director for the American Petroleum Institute) a few short weeks ago, the lobby were told to be prepared for lengthy and appropriate government scrutiny over the project.

King told the group that reversing the flow of the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line “is presidential-permit-worthy. And it’s up to the petroleum industry to convince me otherwise.”

Collins, in a prepared statement Tuesday, recalled that the pipeline officials “were not definitive in response to my questions” about exactly what they were up to.

“Should the company decide to seek approval for this new use,” Collins added, “I would expect that appropriate environmental impact reviews would be completed.”

Moose photo by Rick Libbey

Protecting Moose from Dirty Tar Sands

The Exxon & Enbridge pipeline project runs through important moose habitat in New England. If this dangerous project is not stopped, toxic tar sands oil would threaten the waterways where moose live–and would fuel more tar sands operations in Canada that are destroying the boreal forests and polluting fresh water.

Speak up against the risks that the Northeast tar sands pipeline poses to wildlife and our communities>>>

South Haven, Michigan – Lake Michigan by Mic Stolz

Web of Pipelines Put Wildlife, Communities at Risk

Despite major issues with pipeline safety regulations and safety regulators telling Enbridge their pipelines are not safe, Enbridge has been allowed to max out pipelines running in, around and through the Great Lakes, so they can increase profit and eventually feed international markets with tar sands. Some of the pipelines being pushed to their limits are 60 years old and run under the Great Lakes for miles!

New and existing tar sands pipelines threaten the Great Lakes. These Lakes are the economic backbone for surrounding states and the freshwater drinking source for millions.

However, Enbridge has finally hit a roadblock that requires public input for one of their lines crossing the U.S. and Canada border – known as Alberta Clipper or Line 67. Enbridge is required to obtain a presidential permit because they plan to greatly increase the amount of tar sands being imported. This permit opens up a door for public comment, which finally gives concerned citizens opportunity to have a voice and to become involved.

Stop Reckless Tar Sands Pipeline Expansion

Now is the time to stand up against these plans and tell the State Department that you strongly oppose Enbridge being allowed to expand their pipelines, which will bring the Great Lakes larger spills and more pollution from refining!

It is critical that we tell the State Department that we value our resources and communities over oil profits. The increased import of tar sands crude is not to benefit the Midwest or the U.S. – Enbridge has already started to pump tar sands south for export and has plans to do the same out east. This means that we are assuming an increased risk of much larger spills, pollution from refining and aiding in the development in Canada’s tar sands region – one of the biggest threats to our global climate.

Straits of Mackinac and location of Enbridge Line 5 – a 60 year old tar sands pipeline running below the surface of the water for almost 5 miles.

Tell the U.S. State Department you value the safety of wildlife, our resources and our communities over oil profits!

Winter activities like ice fishing are becoming a thing of the past, due to climate change driven by tar sands and other fossil fuels. (Photo: Tom Gill)

But my arrival in Portland, Maine gave me hope. Organizers from across the region had called on citizens to stand up and demand that a likely proposal by oil giants Enbridge and Exxon to use an existing 62 year-old pipeline to bring carbon intensive, dirty tar sands through a pipeline that runs through Canada, and into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine for export be stopped. Tar sands are a thick, tarry substance mined in Alberta, the most extreme of “extreme oil.”  Mining them requires the vast destruction of pristine boreal forest habitat — the mines and their toxic waste ponds can be seen from space. However, this destruction is not the worst news about tar sands.  It is the climate impacts of tar sands that is so alarming. Tar sands are far more carbon intensive than conventional oil, and the tar sands region contains two times the amount of carbon that has already been emitted by human fossil fuel use, which is why leading climatologists  have warned that tar sands development would hurtle us past any hope for climate stability.

US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree addresses the crowd in Portland

Three days later, concerned citizens and groups in Vermont demanded that the same pipeline proposal be subjected to Vermont law that would give Vermonters the ability to reject this pipeline project.

Tar sands are part of a bigger picture, one that demands action to stem the tide of dirty fuels that are destroying our climate. No one under the age of 28 has lived to see a month where temperatures have been below the 20^th century average.  If we fail to act, crisp winter mornings may soon be a thing of the past in northern New England.  We can do better than that.  And the people of New England are demanding that now is the time to say no to dirty energy and yes to a clean energy future.

Help protect Northeast wildlife and communities from tar sands oil by urging the U.S. State Department to stop the Exxon/Enbridge pipeline!

BILLINGS, Mont. – Delays in Exxon Mobil Corp.’s response to a major pipeline break beneath Montana’s Yellowstone River made an oil spill far worse than it otherwise would have been, federal regulators said in a new report. The July 2011 rupture fouled 70 miles of riverbank along the scenic Yellowstone, killing fish and wildlife and prompting a massive, months-long cleanup. The damage could have been significantly reduced if pipeline controllers had acted more quickly, according to Department of Transportation investigators.

This news doesn’t come as a surprise — in fact, it perfectly fits the pattern of botched responses to pipeline accidents previously set by Enbridge, Inc.’s Kalamazoo River calamity and TransCanada’s 6-story tar sands geyser in North Dakota. And as NWF documented in the shocking report “Assault on America,” it really looks like business as usual for an industry whose profits continue to soar despite being the world’s biggest contributors to climate change and habitat destruction. And with thousands of miles of new pipe slated for construction, it’s only going to get worse if Exxon and its buddies get their way.

Disaster response workers clean debris and oil from the Yellowstone River after an Exxon pipeline ruptured, dumping 42,000 gallons of petroleum. (Photo: US Coast Guard)

We’ve come to realize that this stuff happens all the time, in communities across the country. National Wildlife Federation is working hard to stop new tar sands pipelines and get stronger rules in place to make existing pipelines safer. You can help — tell the White House to protect Americans (and America’s wildlife) from spills and the threat of climate change by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline, which is not only a dangerous project but will also set precedent for future pipeline decisions. Exxon, Enbridge, and TransCanada have proven beyond a doubt that they can’t handle their own technology. It’s time to say “No More!”

Speak up for people and wildlife! Tell the President to reject Keystone XL!

1. Highlight of the Week: Big profits for Big Oil
2. Quote: House Speaker John Boehner
3. Economic Story of the Week: Baucus takes on Tax Breaks
4. Editorial of the Week: End the tax giveaways for oil companies
5. FTC to Probe Tar Sands Price Manipulation
6. Payback Ads Hit Hard
7. NWF’s First Green Flag Flies in Georgia
8. Happening this Week

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Highlight of the Week

Big profits for Big Oil

via Flickr, Marshall Astor

As energy prices soar, and large oil and gas companies announce billions in first quarter profits, efforts to repeal tax breaks given to Big Oil have become the hot topic on the Hill. After House Speaker John Boehner’s gaffe admitting that Congress should consider stopping the subsidies that fuel our addiction to dirty oil, he then spent the week backpedaling and clarifying that he opposes efforts to increase taxes on oil companies.

Boehner is now rejecting leadership requests for a vote on the recommended legislation to rollback these subsidies. Meanwhile, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced in a town hall that he supports eliminating ‘corporate welfare’ and ending subsidies for the oil industry, although his 2012 budget proposal leaves intact $40 billion in subsidies that could instead be directed to clean energy development.

While the recent announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death may have distracted both parties long enough to issue press statements on the strength of America, it also sparked questions about the impact on the world oil market, prices at the pump, and the deficit.

More on this story: E&E News

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Quote:

Flickr, House GOP

“Everybody wants to go after the oil companies and, frankly, they’ve got some part of this to blame,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told ABC News.

When asked if Congress should consider cutting multi-billion dollar subsidies to oil companies he responded, “It’s certainly something we should be looking at. We’re in a time when the federal government’s short on revenues. They ought to be paying their fair share.”

- House Speaker John Boehner.

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Economic Story of the Week

Baucus takes on Tax Breaks

via Flickr, Janie Hernandez

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has unveiled a plan to eliminate or reduce tax breaks for the largest oil and gas companies and invest in cleaner and cheaper domestic energy sources.

While details of the plan are likely to come out in legislation this week, it would include the elimination of a section 199 domestic manufacturing deduction, a reduction of the foreign tax credit for royalty payments to foreign governments, and the imposition of an excise tax on certain Gulf leases. The plan would also work to incentivize fuel efficient vehicles and building a clean energy infrastructure.

“Now is not the time to stand idly by while large oil and gas companies get billions of dollars in tax breaks – now is the time to take concrete steps toward cleaner, more affordable, domestically-produced energy,” said Baucus. “Reducing dependence on foreign oil isn’t easy, but this plan puts us on a path toward a clean, affordable energy future that works for our planet – and our pocketbooks.”

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Editorial of the Week

End the tax giveaways for oil companies

(Delaware County Daily Times)

Executives at Exxon insist that they are not responsible for the high cost of gasoline and that tax breaks are necessary to keep jobs at home — and, they insisted, they didn’t even make that much money. Exxon’s profit for the first quarter of 2011 was only $10.65 billion….

Noted Obama, “When oil companies are making huge profits and you’re struggling at the pump and we’re scouring the federal budget for spending we can afford to do without, these tax giveaways aren’t right.” …They make as much sense as slashing subsidies to the poor and the elderly by gutting Medicaid and Medicare to balance the budget while the wealthy prosper with the help of Bush-era tax breaks. (More…)

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FTC To Probe Tar Sands Price Manipulation

In a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Jonathan Liebowitz, NRDC and NWF join Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in calling for an investigation of Canadian tar sands oil companies to determine whether they are trying to manipulate U.S. oil prices and violate laws designed to curb unfair trade practices with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

“Consumers are already hurting in this economy and foreign oil companies appear to be plotting to gouge them further,” said Jim Murphy, senior counsel at NWF. “They need the Federal Trade Commission to act on Senator Wyden’s request to investigate potential wrongdoing.”

Industry documents that recently came to light have found that the disputed Canada-to-Texas pipeline are likely to harm Midwesterners by forcing consumers to pay more for fuel. The documents show the industry is planning to boost profits by rerouting supply toward the Gulf of Mexico and away from the Midwest.

More on this story: NWF Media Center

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Payback Ads Hit Hard

League of Women Voters, via Youtube

The League of Women Voters launched a hard-hitting accountability television ad campaign to defend the Clean Air Act and EPA authority to regulate pollution.

The ads call public attention to votes by Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Scott Brown (R-MA) earlier this month to block new air pollution standards and hold them accountable for their actions. The ads ask both Senators to “protect the people, not the polluters.” The ‘people’, I might add, are heart wrenchingly embodied by a gasping asthmatic child.

More on this story:

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NWF’s First Green Flag Flies in Georgia

via NWF

Savannah Country Day School in Georgia was recently named the nation’s first Green Flag Eco-School, which signifies exceptional achievement in school sustainability. The school achieved this honor through a combination of excellence by “green” management of its facilities and grounds, providing opportunities for outdoor education, and by integrating environmental learning throughout its curricula.

The Eco-Schools USA program, which is hosted by National Wildlife Federation, counts nearly 500 schools and some 205,000 students among its participants, but none has achieved the program’s highest honor, the Green Flag, until now. To win the first Green Flag, Savannah Country Day School, which completed a Silver LEED-certified lower school building in 2008, tackled a variety of sustainability projects, including lunchroom recycling and composting, a vegetable garden, environmental current events coursework and ‘outdoor classroom time.’

More on this story: Savannah Morning News, NWF Media Center

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Happening this Week

Wednesday, May 4

Hearings: H.R. 1229, the “Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act,” and H.R. 1230, the “Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act”, House Rules Committee, 3pm, H313

Coming up….
June 8-12, 2011
Social Change Institute. Skills, Tools & Leadership presented by Hollyhock.
Click here to register.

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