The Long Chain of Responsibility Behind an Oily and Deadly Train Wreck

By ANDREW C. REVKIN

New York Times July 8, 2013

Around the smoldering, oil-soaked crater in the heart of Lac-Mégantic, a small Quebec town where an unmanned train with 72 tank cars carrying crude oil derailed and exploded early on Saturday, killing at least 13 people*, thesearch for victims and causes is still on.
Attention will soon focus on some misstep by a train crewman or maintenance worker or the like. But the chain of responsibility goes much further. While investigations proceed, here’s some context to mull.
More here: http://nyti.ms/12Sl5tT

Local legislators take action to protect our environment!

Nopaxton received word today that Rep. Gretchen Driskell (52nd District) and Rep. Jeff Irwin (53rd District) will be announcing a pair of bills aimed at protecting Michigan's precious natural resources.  The bills focus on restricting hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and giving local Michigan governments and constituencies the opportunity to decide whether or not they'd allow potentially damaging drilling operations in their municipality.  For those that might not know, as Michigan law currently stands only certain types of municipalities have the ability to regulate drilling in their area, and townships (which constitute the vast majority of rural municipalities within the State) currently have no say at all.  Reps. Driskell and Irwin are taking a stand, and we'll find out more and pass it along.  If you'd like to join them to support the cause, they are having a public announcement this week at:

   Thursday, July 11, 2013

    1 PM

    Gallup Park Canoe Livery  (http://www.a2gov.org/government/communityservices/ParksandRecreation/CanoeLiveries/Pages/GallupPark.aspx)

 For more information, their offices can be contacted at:

     Rep. Driskell (855) 627-5052 

     Rep.  Irwin    (517) 373-2577

Oil Train Explosion: Tragic Reminder of High Cost of Fossil Fuel Dependency

Explosion follows recent direct action against oil train transport: "It's devastating that the the thing we were most afraid of happening did."
- Lauren McCauley, staff writer

from null Common Dreams, Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/07/07

Oil & Water Don't Mix: A Rally for the Great Lakes

A million gallons of poisonous tar sands oil ruined part of the Kalamazoo River as it spilled from a poorly maintained pipeline owned and operated by Enbridge Energy. Enbridge, the same company with over 800 pipeline spills since 1999, has also been pumping oil through two sixty year old pipelines that run through the Straits of Mackinac. Now, they are planning to drastically increase the capacity to pump even more oil through the Straits – which could include the most toxic and corrosive tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada.

More Info under: http://oilandwaterdontmix.com/

A bus is organized to leave from Ann Arbor: http://bit.ly/OilandWater_A2Bus

Nature's Beauties and Rarities at Heritage Park

To get an idea what we are messing around with - and what we are endangering besides our own health - and our children's livelihood, I post a few pictures of beautiful and rare species that can be found in Heritage Park.
 

 

Festive Tiger Beetle, Cicindela scutellaris, subspecies lecontei - new record for Lenawee county 7/3/2013

 

American toad

 

Juvenile Eastern Box Turtle.  Special Concern species in MI. Found in Heritage Park 7/4/2013

Netiquette on this Blog

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Sources:

http://www.networketiquette.net/blog.html

http://officialnetiquette.blogspot.com/

http://www.energy.siemens.com

Brine Truck into Witt Farm

A full brine truck just pulled into Witt Farm coming from Howell Highway. Is there now an injection well on Witt Farm??