Number: 2014-05
WHEREAS, on July 25th, 2010, the Enbridge Energy Partner’s 6B pipeline in Marshall, Michigan ruptured spilling at least 843,000 gallons of crude oil, a large portion of which flowed into Talmadge Creek and then into the Kalamazoo River, resulting in significant private property and environmental damage, with the cleanup costs to date exceeding $1 billion, and sickening over 300 people; and
WHEREAS, the tragedy resulted in (1) significant damage to ecological and recreational resources along Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River; (2) a recognition that future emergencies of the magnitude experienced on July 25, 2010 require emergency response monitoring and cleanup capabilities that are currently insufficient in the community; and (3) recognition that current oversight by pipeline companies and regulatory agencies is insufficient to ensure pipeline safety; and
WHEREAS, in the last five years alone, over 545 pipeline incidents have been reported to the federal government in the eight Great Lakes states, causing 22 deaths, over $1.3 billion in property damage, and spilling over 4.1 million gallons of liquid fuels into the environment; and
WHEREAS, the Great Lakes region has over 460,000 miles of pipelines in the eight Great Lakes states; and
WHEREAS, with the increased flow and transport of crude oil across the Great Lakes has Emergency Response Units in police and fire protection agencies and departments underprepared for major spills from pipelines or trains; and
WHEREAS, pipelines within the Great Lakes basin carry crude oil from North Dakota and Alberta, Canada, crossing beneath critical areas like the Mississippi River basin, the Straits of Mackinac, and the St. Clair River, all of which provide freshwater drinking for millions of people; and
WHEREAS, the rivers, lakes, and wetlands of the Great Lakes region are invaluable to our quality of life and are being placed at great risk each and every day; and
WHEREAS, fish and wildlife are directly affected by crude oil transport and even more affected by the increased risk of oil spills and catastrophes as pipeline expansions continue to be approved before pipeline safety and regulatory improvements are realized;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled May 1-3, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland, hereby determines that a moratorium should be placed on all pipeline expansions within the Great Lakes basin until the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiate and complete critical pipeline safety rulemaking that incorporates strong spill prevention and response measures and pipeline safety standards for existing and future pipelines that will be used for tar sand or other similarly corrosive crude oil; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation recommends that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and state authorities require a full replacement or re-routing of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, a 60 year-old pipeline that crosses under the Straits of Mackinac, in order to protect water quality in the Great Lakes.