MI-Sen: Sierra Club Endorses Gary Peters (D) For U.S. Senate

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Sunday July 21, 2013 · 1:57 PM PDT

2013/07/21 · 13:57

Congressman Gary Peters (D. MI-14) received a big endorsement this week in his bid to succeed retiring Senator Carl Levin (D. MI):

http://www.freep.com/...

Michigan’s U.S. Senate election is 16 months away but the Sierra Club already knows who it is backing: U.S. Rep. Gary Peters.
Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, is the only Democrat in the race at present and is expected to have the race for the nomination largely to himself. Former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is the only Republican to announce for the race to replace U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who is retiring. - Detroit Free Press, 7/18/13

Here's what the Sierra Club had to say in their endorsement of Peters:

http://content.sierraclub.org/...

“Throughout his years in public service, Gary Peters has stood up and protected clean air and clean water in the United States. In his home state, he is a staunch defender of the Great Lakes, one of Michigan's and our nation’s greatest resources. Time and again, he has moved clean energy policies forward to bring clean energy jobs home to Michigan. He is a leader in the fight to clean up our air and water and put our nation on the path to an energy-efficient economy powered by clean, safe energy. For those reasons, the Sierra Club enthusiastically endorses Gary Peters for U.S. Senate.” - Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club

More below the fold.

“As a native Michigander, Gary Peters has made protection of our Great Lakes a priority every step of the way. Throughout his public service, Gary has led efforts to ban drilling for gas and oil in the Great Lakes, urged lawmakers to take immediate action against invasive Asian carp, and fought to keep the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funded. He takes a stand for what is right, calling for clean air and clean water in Michigan communities disproportionately affected by pollution. We need a strong voice for clean air and clean water in Michigan to represent our state in the U.S. Senate, and we heartily endorse Gary Peters for the job.” - Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Director

You can read more about Peters record on the environment here:

http://www.dailykos.com/...

Peters is best known for shining a light on the affects of pet coke:

http://www.dailykos.com/...

Next week, Peters said he plans to introduce a bill that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to study the effects of the material contained in the pile, including regulations about its storage and transportation. He originally offered such language as an amendment to a bill regarding the Keystone XL pipeline, but said Republicans did not allow him to officially present the amendment.
Brad Wurfel, communications director for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, said the department does not have any authority to stop a company from storing this material where it wants, but it can make sure the pile cannot impact the environment. He said the DEQ has been out to inspect the site several times and has ensured that Detroit Bulk Storage has measures in place regarding runoff. It would be up to local zoning issues to control where such a pile can and cannot be located, he said.

Peters said there was no permit filed with the city of Detroit to locate the pile along the Detroit River, but that it has since been filed.

Wurfel said the EPA does not consider this a toxic substance so long as it is just sitting there.

Other states have decided to regulate the location of the substance, Peters said, including Delaware, which does not allow it to be stored outside.

Peters said those who live and work near the pile are concerned about their health and the impact this may have on their businesses.

"Many of the citizens there are worried," he said.

Several months ago, the DEQ became aware of the pile, Wurfel said, after being alerted to it by several people in Canada.

"Canadians are upset because they are largely downwind of this," Wurfel said.

Since then, the DEQ has requested Detroit Bulk Storage submit a plan to deal with "fugitive dust." Wurfel said the DEQ has asked the company to improve its measures in that regard so that those near the pile are not affected when the wind blows and stirs up pieces of the pile into the air.

"We will continue to keep an eye on the situation," Wurfel said. - Crain's Detroit Business, 5/28/13

Peters has also been going after Koch Carbon in Detroit which is going to create him a powerful enemy:

The piles of the tar sands byproduct have been produced by Marathon Petroleum refinery but are owned by Koch Carbon, which is run by well-known businessmen Charles and David Koch.
Marathon has been refining Canada's growing exports of oil sands from Alberta and selling the waste product to Koch since November, according to the The New York Times, which said in a report that Canada plans to increase tar sands exports to the United States via the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The state Department of Environmental Quality has concluded that the black mounds do not pose an immediate health risk.

Locally, the piles are being handled by Detroit Bulk Storage. A spokesman for that company told MLive earlier this month that it is following all proper procedures for storing the petroleum coke, such as using asphalt with an impermeable surface and spraying the piles with a solution deigned to prevent dust blowing off, and added that it has requested a permit with the city of Detroit to store the piles there.

Last week the Nicholson Terminal announced that it would permanently remove Petroleum coke from one of its two sites on the riverfront, though U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) said Friday that more has to be done.
“Removing pet coke from one of the two sites on the Detroit River does not answer the serious questions prompted by open-air storage of the piles,” Peters said. “It is critical that Michiganders get the facts – how to properly store pet coke and what the long risks
could be for residents, small businesses, and the Great Lakes." - Michigan Live, 6/24/13