Must Big Oil wreck everything it touches? Those low-key folks from Michigan may not fuss about politics and Keystone XL … but DON’T mess with their BEER.
Stoic, sensible, low-key Michiganders might allow Republicans to take over their state legislature, or shrug when a Canadian oil company’s pipeline ruptures and leaks oil into the Kalamazoo River, as happened in 2010. But never, never, EVER mess with their beer. Or their lakes. Raw Story reports that Michigan’s oldest and largest brewery just filed a lawsuit against Enbridge, the oil company responsible for the Kalamazoo River oil spill. This means bad news for the Keystone XL project. In July, 2010, a pipeline burst, and the six-foot break caused one of the largest and most expensive oil spills in U.S. history. So far, cleanup costs are approaching $1 billion, but Enbridge has only been fined a paltry $3.7 million. Although Bell Brewery’s water supply is not currently affected by the disaster, Bell President Larry Bell, explained in his statement:
?As Michigan’s oldest and largest brewery, Bell’s has a longstanding commitment to quality. While Bell’s uses water from the municipal water system to brew our beer, the pristine cleanliness of the water and air around our brewery and neighbors is of the utmost importance to us.?
The lawsuit’s complaint also included Comstock Commerce Park, which developed? the clean-up facility. The lawsuit accuses Enbridge and CCP of failing to duly? notify Comstock Township and other businesses on the property, as required by? law in the State of Michigan.
Here’s a video news report from RTAmerica:
So why does this mean bad news for Keystone XL Pipeline and its proponents? Because Bell?s? lawsuit calls unwelcome attention to the myriad environmental safety issues? surrounding this immense project, which would transport oil from the Canadian? tar sands from Alberta, Canada across the western and mid-western U.S. to? Houston, Texas and Port Arthur, La. ? as shown on the map below.
Since the U.S. authorized the extension of the Keystone Pipeline into the? U.S. (Keystone XL) in 2008, you’d think the oil industry would be on their very,? very, very best behavior. You’d think they’d be doing everything possible to? take all possible safety precautions, prevent anything bad from? happening, and promote good public relations for TransCanada‘s immense infrastructure project. But no.? Apparently, Big Oil feels totally confident in their ability to sway governments? with bribes, as they thumb their noses at the public from behind their immense? piles of money. The oil industry’s recent waves of oil spills are appalling, and? include the Kalamazoo River debacle; June’s huge toxic spill in Alberta, Canada; May’s very hush-hush ExxonMobile disaster in Mayflower, AR; and BP’s infamous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from 2010.
Big Oil’s contempt for the public is so complete, they don’t even bother? trying to sway us with any serious attempts towards providing jobs or promoting? energy independence ? the only even remotely justifiable reasons for making such? a huge investment in fossil fuels. In fact, Danielle Droitsch reports for Think Progress that Keystone XL would provide few? jobs and would export most of the oil. The only jobs that might come out of? building the Keystone Pipeline will be cleaning up oil spills ? and, as oil? spill cleanup workers for BP unfortunately discovered after? experiencing work-related health problems ? those jobs don’t even provide health? coverage.
Meanwhile, things are heating up in Michigan.?First of all, it should be known that Larry Bell has a reputation for integrity, and?it takes a lot to get him to get involved in politics or do something drastic like suing an oil company. The Detroit Free Press recently reported that Bell almost pulled out of an important beer festival because of political fundraising — even though the money was being raised for the Protect Michigan Craft Beer Political Action Committee — an organization which Bell supports! Randa Morris from Addicting Info?reported on July 22 that around 40 environmental activists? converged on an Enbridge worksite in Stockbridge, Mich. at 6:00 a.m. to halt? construction, and four protesters chained themselves to the Caterpillars and? over heavy equipment. Andrew Joice from Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands (MI? Cats) declared that the pipeline won’t help Michiganders and can only mean? impending disaster:
Enbridge created a disaster in Kalamazoo. Now they want to expand that very? same pipeline to double it’s [sic]?capacity, piping even? more tar sands through our state. We are saying never again, to Enbridge tar? sands in our water and our land. All of this is going to exports, it isn’t? intended to be used here in the States.
This is addition to Michigan environmentalist Chris Wahmhoff’s exploration? and expose of what’s really going on in and around Enbridge’s pipeline. He’s? actually even spent lots of time inside of it, and what he’s seen is definitely? not pretty. According to another report from Randa Morris, Wahmhoff revealed that ?truckloads of dead? animals and fish were hauled away from the scene? and that he had begun? ?hearing from others about illnesses, injuries, property damage, exploitation,? and the ongoing contamination.? In addition, ?We started finding out that kids? were having seizures.? Wamhoff also described other horrors:
First, there were no frogs, or bugs, or fish, or? turtles?anywhere.?Second, there were sink holes. I found one by stepping in? it and sinking to my waist instead of the 10 inches I was thinking I would be? in. Last, I came up with a leg full of oil, and then I threw up for the next 3? days.
Bell Brewery’s lawsuit only adds to the legitimacy of the ongoing protests in? Michigan and across the country. Especially, since Bell has a reputation for? integrity and staying out of politics.
Heck, Canadians don’t even want the Keystone Pipeline. Back in June, I wrote for Addicting Info that Canada’s British Columbia province handed Big? Oil a major setback and rejected plans for their portion of the planned? pipeline. Who can blame them? The oil companies seem to wreck everything they? touch. Christopher Jones, a lawyer representing B.C.? described concerns? about oil companies constructing and drilling through pristine and ecologically? sensitive areas, and pointedly explained during a Canadian government’s review? of the project:
Northern Gateway has presented little evidence about how it will respond in? the event of a spill ? It is not clear from the evidence that Northern Gateway?will in fact be able to respond effectively to spills either from the pipeline? itself, or from tankers transporting diluted bitumen.
Yet Fox News ?On-Air Personality? Neil Cavuto insists that somehow, folks who? don’t like oil spills and who protest Keystone XL are mentally ill:
All right, you might want to get this straight because I can’t, but the? green crowd’s at it again, demanding the president block the Keystone Pipeline.? And anti-fracking laws are getting support across the country. If the? environmentalists get their way, who pays?
This isn’t really about policies, this is about attracting attention, for the? protesters to have something to do, as if they’re morally superior to their? parents.Protests of this kind, they’re a psychological issue, they’re not an? economic or political issue ? they’re about a mental disease or defect? ?
And if you don’t believe me, here’s the video to prove it:
Featured image: Beers from BellsBeer.Com. Larry Bell, president of Bell’s Beer from mLive: All Michigan.
Edited/Published by: SB
