Marine Pollution Control8631 West Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48209 USA
313.849.2333 - 24/hour
11320 E Lakewood Blvd., #11
Holland, MI 49424
800-521-8232 – 24/Hour
GSA Contract #: GS-10F-0268R
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The U.S. now has 50,000 wind turbines fighting climate change
December 29, 2015
With the recent news of nearly-zero waste cities and Costa Rica achieving 99 percent renewable energy this year, the US has a lot of catching up to do. This year marked an upswing in the production of wind energy, however, as the number of operating turbines reached 50,000 and utility-scale wind farms reached 980. Throughout all the US states and Puerto Rico, this means 70 gigawatts of wind energy have made their way to the power grid.
Wind turbine production reached an all-time high in 2012, when developers rushed to take advantage of expiring tax credits, and took a dip in 2013 with a 90 percent drop in installations. The promise of tax credit renewal for five more years – for both wind and solar energy – has inspired a revival in wind energy production. Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, says, “This American wind power success story just gets better. There’s now enough wind power installed to meet the equivalent of total electricity demand in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.”
Great Lakes would be 'high consequence' area under pipeline bill
A U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill that would boost scrutiny and review of submerged pipelines by adding the Great Lakes to a "high consequence" categorical area of federal crude oil pipeline regulation that requires higher safety standards.
On Dec. 9, the commerce, science and transportation committee passed by voice vote a reauthorization bill for the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that included provisions targeted at the controversial Enbridge Inc. Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.
Provision were attached to the PHMSA bill by Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat on the committee who, along with Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, introduced separate legislation in September to ban crude oil tanker shipping on the Great Lakes.
Federal Regulations Should Be Strengthened to Prepare for Potential Spills of Diluted Bitumen, Which Pose Unique Environmental Concerns
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) needs to modify its regulations and planning in order to strengthen preparedness for accidental spills of diluted bitumen from pipelines, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Diluted bitumen, a type of crude oil made from bitumen extracted from tar sands, has properties that warrant special preparations to limit environmental damage in the event of a spill, said the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report.
“The recommendations set forth in our report represent a practical and pragmatic approach to mitigating the unique concerns associated with spills of diluted bitumen,” said committee chair Diane McKnight, professor of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering and a fellow of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado.
Bitumen is a heavy and dense crude oil that is extracted from tar sands in Canada. It is mixed with lighter oils and transported through pipelines in this diluted form. Diluted bitumen has been transported by pipeline in the U.S. for more than 40 years, but the amount has increased recently as a result of improved extraction technologies and production and exportation by Canada. Both new and existing pipelines are being proposed and developed to accommodate this increased production.
An Academies study released in 2013 found that diluted bitumen is no more likely than other crude oils to be accidentally released from a pipeline. As a follow-up to that study, Congress and DOT further directed the Academies to investigate whether, if a spill occurs, the properties of diluted bitumen differ enough from other types of oil to warrant changes to preparedness or cleanup regulations or to spill response plans.
Effort persists to reopen Exxon Valdez case
Anchorage legislator Josephson calls for aggressive assertion of Alaskans rights under the re-opener provision -
A federal judge has ruled against efforts to reopen the Exxon Valdez oil spill case, in the wake of governments' decisions not to pursue millions of dollars for damages unidentified at the time of the settlement. Still those questioning whether the public's trust has been betrayed are urging the Walker administration in Alaska and the Obama administration to reopen the case so that residents of the region impacted by the March 24, 1989 environmental disaster can address the issue at public hearings. Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, is the newest voice calling for the state to reverse course and give the public a chance to prove that there are still serious intertidal habitat pollution issues stemming from the oil spill.
ITC Michigan to Light Transmission Towers for Holidays
By Michael Lewis II
ITC’s Michigan operating entities ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Co. LLC will light up nine of their 150-foot tall transmission towers with colorful decorations for the holidays starting Monday.
“Our tower decorations have become a holiday tradition in Michigan,” Linda Blair, executive vice president of ITC Michigan, said in a news release. “We’re happy to join the communities we serve all across the Lower Peninsula in celebrating this festive time of the year.”
The towers will be decorated Monday through Jan. 5 with one-quarter mile of rope lights containing 16,000 bulbs each. The displays include 10-by-15-foot Happy Holidays signs and bright stars at the tower tops.
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