Yesterday, Fenton residents filed an injunction against Enbridge Energy Partners, the same company that spilled an estimated 819,000 gallons of tar sands oil into the Kalamazoo River, leading to the longest and costliest pipeline spill clean-up in the nation's history. Fenton is located in northern Livingston County, and also happens to lie in the path of one of Enbridge's oil pipelines. Enbridge has started to cut down a huge swath of trees on private property in Fenton, MI, in preparation to put a new, wider tar sands oil pipeline in the place of the one that already runs through the property. Enbridge does not have an easement allowing them to put in a new pipeline, nor permission to cut down those trees. We visited the owners of the property yesterday, and they showed us the portion of their property that Enbridge has clear-cut to make room for the pipeline. (Pictures beneath the fold.) Fortunately, the owners of the property were granted an injunction against Enbridge, halting Enbridge's construction until September 26th.
There have been several instances of Enbridge employing these kinds of heavy-handed intimidation techniques all across southeastern Michigan in the past few months, including several places in Livingston County where armed guards are currently posted on private property. (Pictures of guards will be up next Thursday.)
Before we headed down to Fenton yesterday, we helped facilitate the local implementation of the DREAM Act, helping young dreamers in Lansing fill out paperwork that will put them on the path to citizenship once the DREAM Act is passed.
Pictures and a brief summary of the rest of the week, below the fold.
Pictures:
Cell phone image from the site where Enbridge is clear-cutting on private property.
Picture of the site, taken from a point closer to the road. The clear-cutting extends further into the property than you can see here. Enbridge would have dug up the entire length of the cleared swath if not for the injunction.
A letter from the property owners' lawyer taped to the No Trespassing sign, which Enbridge ignored when they began clear-cutting.
To recap the rest of this past week:
On Monday, we had the pleasure of attending the UAW Region 1-C Retirees Picnic, and talk with several hundred UAW retirees and their families.
We have written and filmed three internet advertisements, which will be released in the next couple weeks, and we have continued to gather testimonial footage from constituents and supporters. If you would like to film a testimonial video about why you are supporting Lance, or even just why Mike Rogers has to go, please contact us.
We'll be back at 10 AM on Tuesday with an issue blog, and again on Thursday with another campaign update. Until then, remember: Change is coming in Michigan's 8th!