Marine Pollution Control8631 West Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48209 USA
313.849.2333 - 24/hour
11324 E Lakewood Blvd., #12 & #13
Holland, MI 49424
800-521-8232 – 24/Hour
GSA Contract #: GS-10F-0268R
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Energy Companies and Environmental Groups Collaborate on Accountability Standards for Drillers
March 21, 2013
A coalition of environmental groups, philanthropic foundations and energy companies has come together to create a new organization aimed at making Marcellus Shale drilling companies more accountable.
The new Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) will be headquartered in Pittsburgh and employ independent auditors to evaluate and certify companies.
More inspections, tougher pollution penalties for oil tanker traffic
March 19, 2013
(Canada) The federal government announced changes Monday to improve oil tanker safety off Canadian coasts, and shore up support for several controversial projects that would increase oil exports from British Columbia.
The changes include some new measures — administrative penalties for polluters and mandatory marine response plans for oil terminal operators — and increased frequency for measures already in place, such as annual inspections for all tankers and offshore aerial surveillance.
EPA Orders Enbridge to Perform Additional Dredging to Remove Oil from Kalamazoo River
March 15, 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued an administrative order that requires Enbridge to do additional dredging in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River to clean up oil from the company’s July 2010 pipeline spill. EPA’s order requires dredging in sections of the river above Ceresco Dam, upstream of Battle Creek, and in the Morrow Lake Delta.
EPA has repeatedly documented the presence of recoverable submerged oil in the sections of the river identified in the order and has determined that submerged oil in these areas can be recovered by dredging. The dredging activity required by EPA’s order will prevent submerged oil from migrating to downstream areas where it will be more difficult or impossible to recover.
Industrial Chemicals Found in Supermarket Foods
March 19, 2013
Sometimes reading the label isn’t enough. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that samples of prepackaged foods and beverages contained industrial chemicals called phthalates. These are synthetic compounds used to make shampoo, soap, perfumes and other common household products. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive and endocrine damage, premature breast development in girls and premature birth.
Underwater Gas Reserves: The Next Big Thing?
March 14, 2013
Japan says it has successfully tapped a potential new source of energy from the ocean bottom -- the slushy, frozen chemical called methane hydrate - but there’s one tiny problem. Any accidental releases of seafloor methane could boost the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Oil companies have been trying for decades to figure out how to turn frozen methane hydrates into natural gas. Methane hydrate, also known as clathrate, is a compound of methane that exists under pressure at depths below 1,000 feet and under certain conditions in the Arctic.