December 2017

Shut Down Enbridge Pipeline 5

Finally, the State of Michigan has tired of its endless studies and advisory boards. It certainly is tired of the overwhelming public comments in support of shutting down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac and stopping the flow of oil and gas under the Great Lakes. The State has had enough of the prickly public, which seems almost unanimous in its insistence that the 65 year old, decaying pipeline puts the lakes at high risk and was a bad idea from the start. The State has even had enough of Enbridge’s as-surances that all is well with the pipeline, even though all is prov-en to be the opposite over and over.

So the State of Michigan has made a “deal” with Enbridge. The details of the deal have been broadcast far and wide. Basically they require a tunnel under the St. Clair River to Sarnia, and say the line at the Straits must be shut down if weather produces waves over 8 feet. Some monitoring for anchor damage is required also. Nothing is said about the risks associated with the simple fact of winter ice cover. The deal basically keeps the door open for Enbridge to keep operating the pipeline and suggests that a tunnel under the Straits might be in the cards for the future.

FLOW, For Love of Water, has been in the lead within the Oil and Water Don’t Mix Coalition, providing the scientific and legal argu-ments for shutting down Line 5. Anyone needing more in-depth information should visit those websites, and watch for more in-formation on ours as it unfolds. MCWC has been a member of the coalition, which includes just about every reputable environmen-tal group in the state. Unfortunately Enbridge still seems to be calling the shots with the Governor and Attorney General. The public will just have to get a bit noisier it seems, if we are to avoid the risk this line still holds and turn sharper in the direction of a renewable future.

MCWC is totally opposed to any tunnel under the Straits, as it is opposed to any continua-tion of the movement of oil under, on, or in Great Lakes wa-ters. We want a total shut down of Line 5 with no

replacement pipeline under the Straits. There is no clear econom-ic or environmental benefit to more pipelines. Our state is al-ready full of pipelines putting communities at risk of disasters like

the Kalamazoo River disaster. The Great Lakes are a sacred public trust. The State and its people must exercise their responsibilities to uphold that trust.

Check our website and Facebook page for updates on future hear-ings.

~ Peggy Case

Upcoming MCWC Meetings We welcome our members to attend upcoming monthly meeting. They will be held on second Sundays at 2pm at the Big Rapids Public Safety Building Meeting Room 435 N Michigan Ave, Big Rapids. Please join us!!! January 14, 2018 February 11, 2018 March 11, 2018 April 8, 2018 May 13, 2018

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC)

is a grassroots non-profit all volunteer organiza-

tion. Tell us about water issues in your neighbor-

hood.

Our email address is: mcwc@savemiwater.org

Our mailing address is:

P.O. Box 1, Mecosta, MI 49332

Water is Life

10 Ways to Make a Difference

1. Pay attention to local efforts to privatize, pollute or plunder water, publicize them and gather opposition to demand hearings and public forums, and inform media.

2. Join in a coalition effort to produce a ballot initiative to change or write new state law on water withdrawals and public infrastructure support.

3. Push legislators and other government officials to re-write and change flawed state laws and close loopholes in the Great Lakes Compact.

4. Be a citizen scientist and document pollution, theft, and misuse of water. Share your findings with media and activist organizations as well as government oversight entities.

5. Set up a regular network of people to write Letter to the Editor and opinion columns, and organize speaking engagements in your community for water and social justice activists.

6. Examine and make necessary changes in your own living habits as they relate to conservation of water and social justice priorities.

7. Boycott Nestle and other corporations with bad behav-ior. Vote with your pocketbook.

8. Expose and oppose all attempts by governments to privatize and commodify water in your community against the wishes of citizens. Defend democracy at all levels. End Emergency Managers in Michigan.

9. Be an informed voter and learn about the corporate ties of the politicians running for office and consider run-ning for local or state office yourself on a water rights and social justice platform.

10. Respect indigenous wisdom and leadership and insist that treaty rights be honored.

We want to hear from you soon.

Calling Dedicated Members and Water Protectors

Your organization has been very busy in the last few years, as you can see from the last few news-letters. You have been supporting the work of a growing number of volunteers as we answer the calls from around the state to protect our water from privatization, plunder and pollution. Now we need more of you to step into action by joining one of our emerging committees or affiliated water protector groups. Our board is a very active group and we have been working full time over the past year. But the more we do the more we are asked to do, so we need more volunteers to sign on with us. If you feel passionate about any of the issues we are working on, then we want you on one of our committees or in a local water protector group. We are currently forming committees for continued work on injection wells and waste dumping, Nestle, Potash mine, Line 5 and other pipelines, Flint/Detroit crises. These committees will engage in re-search, education and advocacy in line with the pri-orities and mission of MCWC and in coordination with the board’s leadership. Further issue commit-tees will emerge as we determine the level of inter-est among our members. There is always more work to be done to protect our water, but it all takes human commitment. This is your organization, sus-tained by member donations and staffed entirely with volunteers. We contract for some services, like web support and printing. But the work is voluntary and is guided by your concerns. Please contact us through the organization’s email address, which is MCWC@saveMIwater.org, or you can call 231-275-2244 to speak directly with a board member about your interests. ~ MCWC Board

Some MCWC Activists

US Ecology, Hazardous Waste Plant Update

Once more MDEQ's plans to approve a ten-fold expansion of toxic storage at the US Ecology plant has been delayed, with date of approval to be at the end of the calendar year. Delays in giving the plant the green light to expand have continued for over two years due to the resistance organized by resi-dents and environmentalists.

One of the demands of the Coalition to Oppose the Expansion of US Ecology – to stop processing radioactive frack waste - has been met. This demand was fought with marches, thou-sands of educational fliers and residents coming out to protest at meetings and hearings of Detroit City Council and Wayne County Commission, until the company finally gave up their license to handle radioactive waste. One year ago owners said they wanted to keep their options open on the handling of radioactive materials. But protests continued against the threat to Michigan's drinking water and the Great Lakes until the demand was met.

Soil samples were taken around US Ecology in July, thanks to MCWC, who encouraged the coalition and paid for the samples to validate the demand for soil and ground water testing. MDEQ has given waivers on mandatory soil testing since 1989 and ground water testing since 2003.

Lab analysis of our samples found elevated concentrations of arsenic, diesel and copper, along with many other metals in the soil. These elements increase the risk to residents for asthma, lung and heart disease and many cancers and reduce immune function. The scientific community proved decades ago that repeated exposure to even small amounts of toxins can cause harm, disease and death. But MDEQ continues to maintain that:

· the processing of hazardous waste in the middle of a population center is safe

· that it is not the MDEQ's job to monitor the cumulative effects of toxins and

· that we "do not have solid scientific data on cumulative impact of toxins."

The fight continues against the polluters in Detroit.

Michigan Potash Update

A large potash solution-mine is planned for mid-Michigan, near Evart. The mine would pump massive quantities of fresh wa-

ter underground, dissolving salt and potash, bringing them to the surface. Pressurized waste-brines would be piped & forced

into deep injection-wells.

This project has struggled to obtain permits, but brushing aside all concerns re. aquifer depletion, pipelines, and contamina-

tion of groundwater, Scott Pruitt's EPA recently granted permits for 11 deep wells (while denying the existence of bald

eagles and trumpeter swans in Osceola County).

Now seeking state permits, Denver-based Michigan Potash Co. (MPC) is using secrecy provisions of Michigan's Mineral

Wells Act to hide information from the public. Unofficially, MCWC has learned that the company has applied to the DEQ for

for 8 well-permits. The public is being denied hearings and all information regarding such wells, (the mere existence

of an application is secret). This legislated secrecy displays the power of Michigan's mining industry.

Meanwhile, Ted Pagano, (MPC's head & only full-time employee) has mounted an aggressive P.R. campaign to attract three-

quarters of a billion dollars in financing for his scheme. The fact that other companies abandoned potash-mining at a safer

location nearby, will make would-be investors leery. Mr. Pagano's recent potash-mining failure in North Dakota also casts a

shadow over this venture. World-wide over-capacity and chronic weakness in potash prices, along with poor site selection

(vulnerable aquifers and wetlands, and no rail access) present further challenges. Unfortunately, in a world awash with

excess capital, even risky, half-baked, and destructive ventures often find backers. ~ Ken Ford

Changing of the Guard: Going and Coming

Glenna Maneke has served our organi-zation for 8 1/2 years as our esteemed treasurer. It’s hard to thank her enough for all she has done over the years, most of it behind the scenes, none of it paid work, and all of it essential to the smooth operation of the MCWC. She didn’t just keep the books in good shape, she kept the integ-rity of MCWC intact, making sure we spent wisely, ac-counting for every penny of your money, paying our bills, and faithfully reporting everything to the board. Glenna was a leader when it came to paying off the million-dollar debt accumulated during the original battle with Nestle. She helped organize fundraisers and baked untold numbers of pasties with Aunt Roseanne. At this time she is ready for a well-deserved break from these responsibilities. She is help-ing with the transition to our new treasurer, and remains a valued contributor to the leadership of MCWC.

Our new treasurer is Chris Swier. He is a familiar face to most members of MCWC as the son of Terry and Gary Swier, and therefore a founding active member of MCWC. He was in the forefront of the first Nestle battle and has remained a supporter through recent years as the organization has ex-panded its work. He is an activist for water in his own right. Chris is an organic farmer who knows the value of clean wa-ter and is passionate in its defense. We are pleased to wel-come him as our new Treasurer and a member of our board.

We also welcome Shannon Abbott, our youngest member from Grand Rapids. Shannon is passionate about Protecting Water and has been very active with Enbridge Pipeline 5 issues, helped with the camps in Flint, working with the in-digenous community and is a great communicator with so-cial media. She is also the founding member of the Grand Rapids Water Protector group. She does all of her volun-teering and works full time too! Welcome to the Board, Shannon!

Our newest board member is Jim Maturen. Jim retired from law enforcement after 32 years of service. He then took on the challenge of getting local government to deal with envi-ronmental problems, first as a clerk and then as an elected county commissioner in Osceola County. He had experi-enced first-hand the illnesses that result from seriously pol-luted waters and land near his childhood home in Essexville. He co-founded the Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters Associa-tion to be a true conservation organization in 1993. Jim has been passionate in his commitment to do the citizen science necessary to combat the Nestle water grab in his county.

Why Re-new Your Membership?

It’s simple. We need you to keep going with the important work we are doing as a leading grassroots organization dedicated to saving our water for future generations. Over the last 17 years MCWC has earned a reputation as a leading force in the water protection world. Beginning with the major Nestle battle from 2000-2009, we have taken on several other important threats to our water and helped build the growing movement to defend the public trust in water. We have taken on fracking, Pipeline 5, US Ecology in Detroit, the Flint water crisis, injection wells, a potash mine, Detroit water shut-offs, and once again the over-reach of Nestle.

We are still an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff and no office, run by an activist board of directors which now includes twelve members. We have built supportive relationships with local groups in the communities under threat and can now offer organiz-ing, information, and often financial help to those groups.

It has been necessary to improve our technology access over the last few years to keep up with the new communications strategies of the modern world. This means two things: recruiting younger activists to serve the organization as volunteers, and paying a website manager to upgrade our website and train us to use it better, so that we may eventually manage it on our own. This last has cost us some money, but we feel it is necessary for our future needs. As you examine our new website, you will see it is evolving into a valuable tool for shar-ing information about water issues and the work of the organization. There is much more work to do on it, and we hope you will give us suggestions of things you might want to see on the site in the future. For this interim period we need to pay for services to get it up and running. We have found someone to help us.

We have also needed to spend some money in support of the work of local groups we are assisting. For example, we were able to pay for soil testing at the US Ecology site to help the local coalition argue against a permit to expand the facility ten-fold. We have helped sev-eral groups opposing injection wells get the documentation they needed printed for hearings and comments. We brought buses from Flint and Detroit to the Nestle hearing last spring in Big Rapids to connect the dots between Nestle takings and the city deprivations. We played a leading role in organizing and financing the Water is Life Flint Summit at the end of September. This important summit brought together a number of organizations - state, national, and international - to begin a collaboration to defend the human right to water and keep it in the commons. More joint activities are planned.

Without you, we would be doing none of this. You are the backbone of our work. Your membership renewals and donations fund the work. We take no corporate or government money, as you know. Our membership is our funding. Right now we are trying to channel funds directly to the Osceola Township Legal Defense Fund, as they are being bullied by Nestle and need help covering their expenses. But we still need your direct support as our own treasury begins to get stretched too thin. Thus we ask you to renew now and consider adding a donation to MCWC to your end of the year gift-giving plans.

Thank you for all you already do.

Osceola Township Legal Defense Fund

Nestle´ sued Osceola Township for denying them a permit to build a booster pump station near Evart, Michigan.

Even though the DEQ has not made a decision on Nestle´s permit, Nestle has applied for a township permit to build a new booster station to pump the 400 gpm they hope to get. Nestle’s permit request does not match the intention of the language of the Osceola Township ordinance. Un-willing to accept "no" from a small rural community follow-ing its own zoning rules, Nestle is putting a heavy burden on this township financially by appealing their zoning ordi-nance decision.

This is unacceptable. Michigan Citizens for Water Conserva-tion (MCWC) will continue to stand by the township as it exercises its democratic control over its own ordinance and water resources. Osceola Township has already accrued a legal debt of at least $30,000. Oral arguments were heard November 15 at the Osceola County Courthouse in Reed City. The decision by Judge Susan Sniegowski is pending. No matter which way the judge rules, legal fees will continue to grow.

SumOfUs conducted an on-line fundrais-ing campaign for the township at our re-quest. They have been able to raise $30,000 from people all over the world who are appalled by Nestle behavior. Your efforts to date have brought in several thousand as well.

If you can donate further to Osceola Township as it stands up to Nestle to help offset these continuing legal fees, send your donation directly to the fund at the address below. Any donation will help this rural community. Treasurer Martin Nieman will send you a receipt for your donation.

Please send your donations to:

Osceola Township Legal Defense Fund

6521 100th Avenue

Evart, MI 49631

Attention: Osceola Township Treasurer Martin Nieman

Injection Wells Coming to Your Neighborhood?

Two years ago MCWC became aware that Michigan was being opened up by our corporate-sponsored State government as the perfect dumping ground for toxic waste, particularly the waste generated by the oil and gas industry. Profits were down from fracking operations, so they were on hold until the price rose. But money was to be made by taking the waste from industrial and fracking sites as far away as Pennsylvania. Profiteers, familiar with the geology Michigan posed, offered to take the waste Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Pennsylvania didn’t want any-more. The injection wells associated with water boarding and other pres-sure techniques to “reenter” porous oil and gas formations have proven to dramatically increase earthquakes elsewhere, particularly Oklahoma. We were alerted to this new threat to our drinking water when permits were requested in our own backyards in Mecosta County.

The citizens who initiated the fight against permitting these wells in Me-costa County (Smith ‘1-17’) formed a group which later merged into MCWC’s board of directors. This was the learning platform for our con-tinued work to oppose these wells. They mustered 175 people to attend a spirited EPA public hearing in January of 2016. Official responses did not come until May of 2017 and they were not encouraging. Our group submitted lots of data showing that there were already 115 well bores in just one township from the decades of drilling, and any new well would be punching into an aquifer pincushion and our clean water. The EPA didn’t care and issued the permit, hiding behind a very narrow interpreta-tion of the Safe Water Drinking Act.

In the process, however, we were able to demonstrate the kind of shady dealing that applies to some of these leases. Some claim to be for en-hanced recovery of oil (usually water boarding) in places where it is al-ready known that there isn’t oil. They are then converted to waste injec-tion wells without as much as one barrel of oil production.

We have been contacted by citizens in five counties so far for help in opposing similar injection permits in their areas. The local groups first learn how to access the information about ancient wells in the area at the CMU Clarke Library in Mt. Pleasant. They generate a sufficient number of public comments to force an EPA hearing on the permit, thus educat-ing the public about the dangers even if the EPA and the DEQ are una-ble to function in a way that protects our drinking water. The results so far have been to at least stall the permitting process and generate public awareness of the failures of government in protecting us. The Flint crisis was a wake up call, so it is a bit harder for government agencies that failed so badly in Flint to just ramrod new environmental hazards down our throats. They have to at least pretend they are taking actual science into account

Groups are working with us in Barry County (Swanson’4-7’), Clare Coun-ty (Holcomb ‘1-22’), Oakland County (Lamphar ‘1-12’), and Gladwin County (Grove ’13-11) If you live in these areas and wish to get involved, email us and we will hook you up with the local group. If you discover a new permit request in your area and want to form a committee to oppose it, let us know and we can support you in several ways. Check our web-site for further updates on injection wells. We would be happy to send a speaker to make a presentation to groups in your community.

In the process, we have evolved from a learning platform to the ability to educate others as to the risks we all face with our most valuable life sus-taining resource. ~ John McLane & Peggy Case November 15 Hearing

MCWC Board Members Peggy Case, President Jeff Ostahowski, Vice President Chris Swier, Treasurer Karen Turnbull, Secretary John McLane Wendy Nystrom Jim Maturen Diane Weckerle Pam Gilbert Shannon Abbott

info@SaveMiWater.org

Your Donation and Membership is how we fund our organization.

MCWC is A 501c3 grassroots group organized in December 2000. Our mission is to protect our surface and ground waters from

pollution, plunder and privatization through education, advocacy and actions. We work to protect and promote human and

ecosystem rights to water and defend the public trust doctrine. All staff are volunteer. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Please send your check to P.O. Box 1, Mecosta, MI 49332

Or pay via our Website: www.saveMIwater.org

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation

P.O. Box 1

Mecosta, MI 49332

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