When terrible things happen in the world, it is challenging to know what to say. In 2010, National Wildlife Federation prepared a guide for parents and caregivers on how to talk with kids about the Gulf Oil Spill. It continues to bring thousands of people to our website because the tips are relevant for other events as well.

Waking up to an Oil Spill

When Susan Connolly woke up to find an oil spill in her community in July 2010, she first had to help her own children. They got sick, and then they had questions. In the video below, Susan says:

My son was only four at the time and now he’s just over five. We don’t talk about it in front of the children but he knows. Just last week they went on a class trip to a fire department and they must have crossed over the Kalamazoo River. The first thing he says to me is “Mommy we went on a class trip today and I saw the oil spill.”… It’s always going to have an impact for him because when we talk about going on a nice river walk, he says, “Mommy are we going to walk in the oil?” That’s how a five-year-old child thinks of his river, as oil.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Becoming a Pipeline Activist

Susan is a busy working mom of two young children, but when the Enbridge oil spill happened right in her community, she could not stand by. Any moment she can after work, after the kids go to bed, she is researching, attending meetings, preparing speeches, getting interviewed by the media and encouraging others in her community to speak up.

Susan came to Washington DC in October 2011 to testify at the Keystone XL hearings about the impact of a tar sands oil spill on a community. She described what it did to her home town of Marshall, Michigan. Houses that were near the river were purchased, but home owners a little farther on were left without compensation, and in a half-empty community. This created tension in a small community.

There are a lot of people who have had settlement agreements with the oil companies, so they can’t speak. It’s pretty much a gag order that once you settle, you can’t say anything. A lot of people with their health are tied up in lawsuits, so of course they can’t speak because of their current litigation. So I have no lawsuits, I’m not going to sue anyone. But I care about the environment. I care about the people. And you just need someone to be able to communicate for everyone, but not be accusatory and not be threatening.

There are events in our lives that change everything. There are moments when we know we must step up because we are the right person in the right time. Certainly Susan would wish that there had never been an oil spill that filled her local stream and river with thick tar sands oil. But she made a choice in how she responded – a courageous choice.

She continues to collaborate with people in her community and the National Wildlife Federation in the hopes of bringing good from this terrible event, whether that means standing up against the Keystone XL pipeline, or helping other communities maintain their pipelines better. This month she attended a conference about pipeline safety, one of the only attendees who was not from government or the pipeline industry. As Susan says:

I’m doing this now because my children were harmed. My children were hurt, and we’ve been dismissed… And because of that I’m not going to go away, and I’m not going to stop.

Show Your Support

If you’d like to send best wishes to Susan, please comment on this blog post, tweet about it or like it on Facebook.

Suggested Tweet – Courageous mom stands up for her children & community after oil spill http://bit.ly/v1AsMh via @nwf

Another way to show your support is to donate to National Wildlife Federation’s work on to stop dirty fuels and the Keystone XL pipeline at our Choose Your Cause website.

Environmentalists are relieved to hear that the Obama administration has delayed the decision regarding the Keystone XL pipeline.

But most Americans probably do not know that pipelines already criss-cross our neighborhoods and countryside.

For Susan Connolly of Michigan, pipelines were not a concern before July 26, 2010. That was the day a pipeline burst near her town, spilling oil in the Kalamazoo River.

Here she re-counts what it was like that day and how the river looks today. Thank you to Michelle Barlond Smith for sharing her photos.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The first night, my son was throwing up. Within a few days, my daughter had a strange rash on her body. A lot of the kids had headaches. There were nose bleeds, migraines, sore throat. Since the kids were younger, it hit them fast…

You could see the oil-covered geese, the deer. People were pulling muskrat, turtles. Another response that they did other than just capture the animals, for weeks you could hear guns being fired, just killing all the deer because they couldn’t rehabilitate them. So you heard that for weeks, day and night…

The entire Kalamazoo River, the whole 40 mile stretch, still needs moderate to heavy work done still. There’s a no contact order that you can’t go anywhere near the river.

Hear more of Susan’s story, such as why she speaks up for those affected by the spill, in an upcoming blog.

Support National Wildlife Federation’s work on to stop dirty fuels and the Keystone XL pipeline at our Choose Your Cause website.

Pipeline fires, spills and explosions exact a toll on local economies that industry refuses to account for in its job estimate. Image by Tom Burford.

Echoing some of our previous posts, the Cornell Global Labor Institute has just released it’s analysis of the job impacts from the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.  Their take?  It will kill more jobs than it creates.

Cornell says:

TransCanada and The Perryman Group’s [a TransCanada subcontractor] job estimates do not consider the jobs that might be destroyed as a result of the pipeline and the expanded use of tar sands oil.

Here’s the details on the industry’s omissions:

1. FUEL PRICES WILL RISE in 15 midwest states, as a result of the pipeline. TransCanada’s own consultant testified to the Canadian National Energy Board that part of the purpose of the pipeline is to raise the price of heavy crude oil in the midwest.

2. SPILLS WILL BE AN ECONOMIC DRAG. Phase 1 of the Keystone has spilled fourteen times in its first year of operation. Contamination of rivers, drinking water sources and the Ogallala Aquifer in the region threaten the jobs and livelihoods of farmers, ranchers and those working in tourism.

3. JOB LOSS IN CANADA.  Keystone XL will end plans to build ‘upgraders’ in Alberta that were expected to generate 22,000 construction and refinery jobs and arrest tar sands development. Refining capacity in Texas has recently been expanded to accommodate tar sands oil–most of those jobs are now gone from the U.S. economy.

4. MORE HEALTH COSTS FROM POLLUTION.  Keystone XL will raise emissions and reduce air quality in both Canada and the U.S. Treating respiratory and other illnesses incurs economic costs and therefore kills jobs.

See the full analysis by clicking here:  CornellU_KeystoneXL

The Obama administration is due to decide by the end of the year whether the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest.  You can tell President Obama to stop the pipeline and protect the environment from high carbon fuel spills. Take action here!

Aerial shot of Alberta tar sands taken during NWF flyover

Several Congressional members, and Great Lakes State Legislators, are shamefully showing support for the Keystone XL pipeline before pipeline safety and environmental concerns raised by the EPA, some members of Congress and over 265,000 citizens have been adequately addressed.

Oil extraction from the Alberta tar sands is under high scrutiny because tar sands extraction in Canada destroys boreal forests and wetlands, causes high levels of greenhouse gas pollution, and is leaving behind immense lakes of toxic waste. The proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline will import this toxic oil right through the heartland of America – threatening the Ogallala aquifer, wildlife and communities. In a recent report, Tar Sands Pipeline Safety Risks, it’s explained that transporting raw tar sands oil through pipelines is more corrosive, toxic, and unstable than conventional crude – yet current pipeline regulations do not take the corrosive and toxic nature of tar sands into account.

The pipeline that burst during the Enbridge tar sands oil spill in Michigan - July 2010

As discovered with the Enbridge MI oil spill, and the 12 tar sands spills that have happened along Keystone 1 in its first year of service, existing pipeline safety laws have failed and need to be updated to account for this highly corrosive and toxic tar sludge. Formal studies need to be conducted on the nature of this product and investigations into current oil spills need to be completed before any tar sands pipeline projects are considered.

Also, there’s extremely strong evidence showing that Keystone XL will actual increase gas prices for all of the Midwest, which our economies cannot afford. Recently exposed industry documents prove that the Keystone XL pipeline is going to be used to reduce Canadian oil supplies in America’s Midwest and increase prices by as much as 15 cents a gallon. In addition, this pipeline project will not to be energy security for the US, as many lawmakers are being led to believe, because the pipeline will be used to push oil to the Gulf for export to other counties – like China.

Oil in Montana's Yellowstone River (NWF's Alexis Bonogofsky)

It is not responsible for Great Lakes lawmakers to support and advocate for this project when we’ve experienced the devastating impacts of our inadequately regulated pipeline infrastructure through the Enbridge oil spill and now the Yellowstone River Exxon oil spill. Instead, all lawmakers should focus on the lessons learned and push for increased pipeline safety here in the Great Lakes and across the nation. We need to – first – properly regulate this industry instead of rushing pipeline expansion and undoubtedly harming wildlife, natural resources and communities.

The pipeline that burst during the Enbridge diluted bitumen oil spill in Michigan - July 2010

Pipelines are out of sight and often are out of mind for many Americans–including Congress and the agencies that regulate the pipelines.

Last year I learned this lesson the hard way when parts of my hometown were devastated by a massive tar sands (diluted bitumen) pipeline oil spill caused by Enbridge Energy. Before Enbridge realized there was a spill, they had allowed their pipeline to spew nearly 1 million gallons of diluted bitumen into the Kalamazoo River watershed– sickening people, killing wildlife and devastating over 30 miles of river.

The Enbridge spill, and the many others since, demonstrates the dangers of tar sands oil pipelines to people and wildlife habitat. Most the pipelines in this country were built for transporting conventional crudes.  However, in the last decade that conventional crude has switched to diluted bitumen (raw tar sands crude), as the Alberta tar sands region became more developed and oil companies discovered it more expensive to refine tar sands oil before shipment.

This unrefined tar sands oil, diluted bitumen, is more corrosive and toxic than conventional crudes.

NWF is urging pipeline regulatory agencies to halt all diluted bitumen pipeline construction projects and permits until investigations into recent pipeline spills are complete and appropriate regulations are in place to safeguards our communities and natural resources.

Kalamazoo River polluted with raw tar sands oil

The Enbridge spill is a prime example of what will go wrong when diluted bitumen oil pipelines do not have proper regulations in place. In a recent interview by NPR, Mark Durno with the Environmental Protection Agency - Region 5 gives his accounts into the difficulties of cleaning up diluted bitumen spills, also expressing his concerns over more frequent pipelines spills in the future.

As one would come to expect from oil companies, these oil pipeline operators are looking to make more money, as quickly as possible. Companies like Enbridge Energy and TransCanada are proposing massive tar sands pipeline expansion projects, like the Keystone XL–despite overwhelming local opposition and concerns around pipeline safety. These expansion projects provide several immediate and obvious risks:

• Locks Americans into an extremely dangerous and dirty energy future when our nation should focus on investing in renewable energy
• Continues to put communities, our land, our wildlife and natural resources at risk of more hazardous and frequent oil spills
• Will only continue to increase gas prices around parts of the US
• The expansion of the tar sands oil fields, in Alberta Canada, will continue to drastically increase greenhouse gas emissions adding to the climate change crisis.

Until the health and environmental impacts of the Enbridge spill are truly researched, and the investigation into these recent spills is complete – Congress, the Secretary of State and pipeline regulators should halt approval of all proposed projects.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center is committed to helping the communities and wildlife impacted by the Enbridge oil spill. Help NWF hold dirty energy accountable. To learn more about this issue and help prevent expansions of these pipelines in our heartlands, please visit NWF Action Fund Center. Take action: Save Sandhill Cranes from a new tar sand oil pipeline.

According to a report that was released today by the National Resource Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Pipeline Safety Trust and Sierra Club – our country and the Great Lakes are facing an increased risk of major tar sands pipeline leaks.

Our nation has built a thick network of pipelines to transport refined oil. Those pipelines, and the rules and regulations around them, were built specifically for conventional crude transportation. 

However, in the last decade or so, tar sands oil companies (as a cost saving measure) have started pushing raw tar sands oil or Diluted Bitumen (DilBit) through those same pipelines - including an extensive network  within the Great Lakes.

This report explains how Dilbit is acidic, corrosive, toxic, and so thick that it requires high pressure and heat to move through our pipelines:

Dilbit pipelines, which require higher operating temperatures and pressure to move the thick material through a pipe, appear to pose new and significant risks of pipeline leaks or ruptures due to corrosion, as well as problems with leak detection and safety problems from the instability of Dilbit.

The authors explain that Enbridge’s 840,000 gallon spill in Michigan was tar sands oil and the timeline of events suggest that delays in the discovery of the rupture were due to the unpredictable nature of this product.

Leaks in Dilbit pipelines are often difficult to detect…pressure changes within the pipeline can cause the natural gas liquid condensate component to move from liquid to gas phase. 

During the Kalamazoo River spill, the Enbridge pipeline gushed for more than twelve hours before the pipeline was fully shut down, and initial investigation indicates that the pipeline’s monitoring data were interpreted to indicate a column separation rather than a leak.

There are also major difficulties in cleaning up a leak, once it occurs, because components of Dilbit will sink into the water column and wetland sediments.

All of these findings echo what the agencies involved in the Kalamazoo River clean-up have disclosed as challenges they are facing.

Even scarier, the report dives into impacts to the environment and human health. 

Dilbit contains hydrogen sulfide, a gas which can cause suffocation in concentrations over 100 parts per million and is identified by producers as a potential hazard associated with a Dilbit spill. Enbridge identified hydrogen sulfide as a potential risk to its field personnel during its cleanup of the Kalamazoo River spill.

And of course, anyone following the news of the Kalamazoo River oil spill heard about the harmful impacts from being exposed to Benzene, which is known to cause cancer and is a major concern for residents living along the river.  

What was not as well known and/or disclosed is information around the heavy metals found in Dilbit. Residents had this to say about the report findings:

 “We are heartbroken to find out that the oil spilled around our home contains heavy metals like nickel and arsenic. We live near the river and know that these toxins are not going to biodegrade, but only accumulate,” said Deb Miller who lives with her husband, Ken, in Ceresco, MI.

“Enbridge and the lead agencies involved in the clean-up need to tell residents that this is what’s going to remain in our river and home, indefinitely,” explained Susan Connolly from Marshall, MI.  This disaster is going to continue impacting our communities, families, and grandchildren.  I am devastated,” she added.

So where does that leave us?

Until our regulators fully understand this product and regulate accordingly, our country needs to halt all future projects.  Because tar sands oil is already being transported throughout the Great Lakes region, we need to contact congress demanding that they strengthen standards for pipelines.

Let Congress know that we need to hold these oil companies more liable, we need to invest in our resources, and we need our pipeline regulators to always understand what’s being transported throughout our country and to consider what’s at risk when we don’t.

Why are we not surprised? Six months after the Kalamazoo River oil spill, Enbridge is starting to deny legal liability for costs related to the oil spill, which dumped nearly 1 million gallons of tar sands oil into a major tributary to Lake Michigan. Last week, Enbridge also increased the estimated cost of the oil spill to $550 million – which creeps closer to their $650 million umbrella insurance policy. Will these denials continue as the cost of the clean-up approaches their coverage cap?

Enbridge’s latest move illustrates yet again why it is critical to hold corporate polluters accountable by increasing pipeline safety and regulation standards. The Michigan Messenger reported yesterday:

Bill Mayhall, the Attorney representing 10 households in Marshall and Battle Creek, Michigan explained: “Now they want us to prove that they are responsible for the spill.”

Enbridge argues that it cannot be held liable for the oil spill because it has followed all relevant laws, regulations and industry standards and the damage was not foreseeable.

Not foreseeable? What next – these spills are “Acts of God”?

All of this while Enbridge, on their very own company website, has this to say about their commitment to impacted communities along the oil polluted river:

Enbridge accepts full responsibility for all for the costs related to the emergency response and for any property damage as a result of the spill.

Elsewhere Enbridge says,

There is no need for individuals who have suffered damages to sue Enbridge, as we have committed to paying all legitimate damages to everyone who has been affected by the spill.

And they go on to express their commitment,

We want to acknowledge the impact the spill has had on the people of Calhoun County. We understand that the leak has disrupted people’s lives and made a mess of properties, public spaces and waterways.
The community and surrounding areas are our primary focus, and we have committed necessary resources to this effort.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center is committed to helping the communties and wildlife impacted by the Enbridge oil spill.  Help NWF hold dirty energy accountable.  Take action here against dangerous tar sands pipelines.

Tribal First Nations across British Columbia are being asked to give up their land, risk the health of their rivers and food, and jeopardize the livelihood of their culture and future generations – all because Enbridge wants to expand their Alberta tar sands crude production to reach Asian markets.

Enbridge Energy’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipelines have been entered into the review process of the Canadian Government.  This proposed pipeline would be a double whammy for wildlife and the communities that reside along the proposed route.

One pipeline would transport unrefined tar sands crude from Alberta to costal British Columbia where it would be loaded onto supertankers. A second pipe would transport condensate off of supertankers, pumping product back to Alberta for the future production of tar sands (condensate is an acutely toxic light hydrocarbon used to transform the thick tar sands into a product suitable for the pipeline transfer).

This proposed project would traverse through some of the most rugged, remote and pristine wilderness left in the northern hemisphere.

In December, ‘Friends of Wild Salmon’ requested that I share the story of the Enbridge oil spill - that happened in Michigan – with British Columbia residence that live along the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline route.  NWF’s Great Lakes Regional Center staff saw first-hand the lack of planning, response, and proper acknowledgment on the part of Enbridge when it comes to addressing an oil spill that’s located in a very populace and accessible location.

The tour called ‘ThinkPipeline’ recapped our experiences with the Enbridge oil spill and helped British Columbia residence consider the very high risks of having pipelines travel through their communities, land and rivers.

One Wet’suwet’en First Nation elder expressed grave concern over what happened in Michigan with the Enbridge oil spill. She was very concerned with the devastation that the Enbridge oil spill caused in Michigan…mentioning to me that their rivers run freely and fast on Wet’suwet’en land.  If there was an oil spill, there would be no way to control the flow of oil once it hit their waters. The Wet’suwet’en First Nations greatly depend on the salmon, and their habitats, for harvest to feed their families in the winter months. When a spill occurs, it would devastate their communities for generations.

I was told the amazing story of the Great Bear Rainforest - home to the extremely rare and sacred Spirit Bear. These two pipelines, and the supertankers, would travel right though the habitat of that bear – and many other costal wildlife.

As the tour progressed, and I had the opportunity to travel through areas of the proposed pipeline. I found it impossible to understand how a pipeline could even be proposed in an area as beautifully wild as northern British Columbia. Canada, residence of British Columbia and especially Enbridge really need to consider what they are sacrificing.  It’s not worth it.