Human Oil Spill draws attention to Enbridge crimes and plans to expand tar sands pipeline through Michigan

Earlier today about 50 people converged on the Capitol in Lansing to not only shed light on the 2^nd anniversary of the Enbridge oil disaster in the Kalamazoo River, but to draw attention to the corporation’s plans to expand their tar sands oil pipelines through Michigan.

A Michigan chapter of the National Wildlife Federation and other groups from across the state came to Lansing to create a human oil spill. People dressed in black laid down inside the State Capitol building, just before a press conference that addressed the true costs of the 2010 Enbridge oil spill and to talk about the company’s plans to expand the tar sands oil pipelines in Michigan.

One of the speakers during the press conference was State Rep. Kate Segal from Calhoun County. Rep. Segal address the true cost of the Enbridge oil spill, based on a recent report that exposed the companies criminal and negligent behavior.

Those who spoke at the press conference did say that they were not asking for the proposed Enbridge tar sands oil pipeline to be prevented, they wanted more research done to determine safety and environmental regulations before the company moves forward.

It seems that not demanding an end to the tar sands oil pipelines in Michigan or anywhere else in North America ignores the tremendous human and environmental cost the tar sands project is already having, particularly on indigenous communities in Canada near the Alberta tar sands extraction area.

People in Michigan really need to come to terms with this proposed Enbridge tar sands oil pipeline. It seems to this writer that just as people are calling for a ban on fracking in Michigan, they should also be calling for no new oil pipelines to be constructed anywhere in the state.

Before today’s event, I had a chance to interview Beth Wallace, an organizer with the National Wildlife Federation, one of the organizers of today’s event.