July, 20 2016, 01:30pm EDT

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Jane Kleeb, jane@boldnebraska.com, 402-705-3622
Josh Mogerman, jmogerman@nrdc.org, 312-651-7909
Mark Westlund, mark.westlund@sierraclub.org, 510-841-8329
Andy Pearson, andy@mn350.org, 612-600-5951
Mahyar Sorour, mahyar@mpirg.org, 612-627-4035 ext. 306
Marc Fink, mfink@biologicaldiversity.org, 218-464-0539
David Turnbull, david@priceofoil.org, 202-316-3499
Enbridge Ordered to Pay $177 Million Over Disastrous Michigan Tar Sands Spill
WASHINGTON
This morning, the Justice Department and EPA announced a $177 million settlement agreement with Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge over unresolved Clean Water Act claims from a disastrous 2010 tar sands spill that dumped over a million gallons of tar sands crude into the Kalamazoo River.
Six years and over a billion dollars in cleanup efforts later, the river and surrounding bodies of water are still not entirely restored. Far from delivering closure for the communities affected by this spill, today's announcement serves as yet another reminder of the devastation that can be caused by unreliable tar sands pipelines.
And, according to a new report released last week, faulty pipelines are far more common than previously thought. The documents, released by Canada's National Energy Board (NEB), show that Enbridge has been using defective parts from overseas suppliers in their pipelines for years, and that they have no way of knowing which of their pipelines contain the defective parts.
This settlement and the revelations from the NEB also highlight the need for the Alberta Clipper tar sands pipeline expansion to go through a full Presidential Permit process, similar to the one that was applied to Keystone XL. The Alberta Clipper pipeline has been allowed to operate at a higher volume without a permanent license or a full environmental review, and continues to threaten the Great Lakes region.
Enbridge's Kalamazoo disaster may be the most high-profile tar sands spill on record, but as long as dirty oil pipelines are allowed to continue threatening land, water, and Tribal and local communities along their routes, it will certainly not be the last.
"The years spent cleaning the Kalamazoo are a cautionary tale for all of the tar sands projects being contemplated across North America," said Anthony Swift, Director of NRDC's Canada Project. "The Kalamazoo River tar sands spill highlights the real costs of this bottom of the barrel oil. Communities being asked to allow tar sands pipelines through their borders, or tankers along their shores, need to understand the industry knows very little about how to address these spills."
"It is time for our government to decommission pipelines that are decades old and pose a huge risk to our water and property rights," said Jane Kleeb, Bold Alliance President. "For too long we allowed Big Oil to write the rules on how pipelines are regulated in our communities and it has left citizens at the mercy of corporations who care only about their bottom line."
"We know when it comes to tar sands pipelines, it's not a question of if they'll spill, but when," said Lena Moffitt, Director of Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign. No amount of crude oil being transported near our communities or the Great Lakes is safe and the spill in Kalamazoo serves as a stark reminder of that reality. Enbridge should not be allowed to continue their negligent and dirty business practices, let alone allowed to expand their massive pipelines like Alberta Clipper. As we approach the six-year commemoration of this spill, we know the only way to guarantee the safety of our water and communities is to continue moving towards 100% clean and renewable energy, and leave dirty fuels where they belong -- in the ground."
"Six years have passed with questions unanswered and concerns remain," said Susan Connolly, a local Michigan mother whose children suffered rashes as a result of the Kalamazoo spill. "The fines enacted by the state/EPA do not reflect the finality of the impact of the spill. The fines related to the Clean Water Act should not be in the form of a 'settlement' discussed and agreed to between the agencies and the at fault party. The maximum penalty should be ordered, criminal penalties assessed, and a Michigan Pipeline Trust created. We stand in solidarity in the hopes that the largest inland tar sand spill is never forgotten and lessons are learned."
"The costs of continuing to use fossil fuels are rising, with massive climate, health, clean water, safety and wildlife impacts. On the sixth anniversary of the Kalmazoo spill, we have to realize many of the town's residents' lives were suddenly and permanently changed. It's time to stop building new fossil fuel infrastructure, and realize the savings that will be generated from a rapid shift to clean energy," said Kathy Hollander, a longtime volunteer with MN350.
"This settlement pales in comparison to the huge costs the tar sands spill has placed on the community, but what's even worse is that this figure of $177 million may misrepresent what Enbridge is actually paying," said David Turnbull, Campaigns Director, Oil Change International. "Thanks to corporate tax loopholes, it's possible $110 million of the settlement could be tax deductible, meaning some $38 million could come out of taxpayers' pockets. The EPA and DOJ need to clarify that Enbridge can't write off the costs of its massive oil spill. Oil spills shouldn't be business as usual, and imposing damage to communities, ecosystems and the climate can no longer simply be considered the cost of doing business."
NRDC works to safeguard the earth--its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild.
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Defying Calls to Appoint Barbara Lee, Newsom Chooses Laphonza Butler to Fill Feinstein's Seat
Butler previously served as the head of a major SEIU local. But she also represented Uber as it fought efforts to classify drivers as employees.
Oct 02, 2023
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced late Sunday that he will appoint Laphonza Butler, president of the Democratic Party-aligned reproductive rights group
EMILY's List, to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of long-serving Sen. Dianne Feinstein last week.
Newsom's selection rebuffs calls from progressives and some Democratic lawmakers—including the head of the Congressional Black Caucus—to nominate Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to fill the vacancy. Lee is one of three prominent Democrats running for Feinstein's seat in 2024.
Feinstein had planned to step down at the end of her term in January 2025.
Newsom pledged to fill any early vacancy with a Black woman, but he signaled last month that it would not be Lee, who is running against Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
"I don't want to get involved in the primary," Newsom told NBC, stressing that his selection would be an interim pick. "It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don't want to tip the balance of that."
In a statement late Sunday, Newsom said that "as we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for—reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence—have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C."
"An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President [Kamala] Harris," Newsom added, "Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she'll represent us proudly in the United States Senate."
Shortly following news of the governor's decision, journalists
noticed that EMILY's List removed the final line of Butler's bio that said she lives in Maryland with her partner and daughter. Newsom's office confirmed to California reporter Ashley Zavala that Butler moved to the Washington, D.C. area for her role at EMILY's List but owns a home in California, and will reregister to vote in the state before she is sworn in.
Prior to her stint at EMILY's List, which works to elect pro-choice Democrats, Butler served as president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015, the nation's largest home care and nursing home workers union.
But CalMattersnoted Sunday that "despite her previous career, organized labor is likely to split on Butler."
"Many felt betrayed when she represented Uber in 2019 as the company tried to broker a deal that would avoid classifying their drivers as employees," the outlet reported.
Butler also worked as director of public policy for Airbnb.
Politicoreported that "Newsom is making his appointment without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024. That means Butler could decide to join the sprawling and competitive field of Democratic contenders seeking to succeed Feinstein, with special elections now layered on top of the March primary and November runoff."
In a letter to Newsom earlier Sunday, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) urged Newsom to appoint Lee to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat, arguing that her "unparalleled legislative record, longstanding leadership in the Democratic Party, and deep commitment to justice and equality cannot be equaled."
"Barbara Lee has diagnosed a sickness in this country: greed," Horsford wrote. "And, as a former mental health professional, she has a solution: eradicate poverty, exterminate corporate welfare, and end austerity for working families. She is the only person with the courage, vision, and record to eradicate poverty, face down the fossil fuel industry, defend our democracy, and tirelessly advance the progressive agenda."
Lee, for her part, wrote in a social media post that she looks forward to working with Butler to "deliver for the Golden State."
"I am singularly focused on winning my campaign for Senate," Lee wrote. "CA deserves an experienced senator who will deliver on progressive priorities. That's exactly what I'm running to do."
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'Out-of-Step With American Values': Newsom Vetoes Key Labor Bills
The California governor on Saturday rejected bills that would have given unemployment insurance to striking workers and OSHA protections to domestic employees.
Oct 01, 2023
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed too important pieces of labor rights' legislation on Saturday: one that would have given unemployment insurance to striking workers and another that would have extended protections to domestic employees.
Newsom's vetoes come as both California and the nation have seen a number of high profile strikes this year, including by Hollywood writers and actors.
"This veto tips the scales further in favor of corporations and CEOs and punishes workers who exercise their fundamental right to strike," California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher said in a statement. "At a time when public support of unions and strikes are at an all-time high, this veto is out-of-step with American values."
Senate Bill 799, which passed in September, would have offered unemployment insurance to workers on strike for 14 days or more. It came while both the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) were out on strike in the first writer and actor double-feature work stoppage in 60 years.
In a statement, Newsom said he was vetoing the bill for economic reasons, arguing that the state's unemployment insurance had been governed by the same financial structure since the 1980s, was "vulnerable to insolvency," and already expected to be almost $20 billion in debt by the end of the year.
"Now is not the time to increase costs or incur this sizable debt," Newsom said.
However, The Sacramento Beepointed out that Newsom's veto might have been made politically easier by the fact that the WGA ended its strike Wednesday after reaching a tentative deal with the studios.
Democratic State Sen. Anthony Portantino, who introduced the bill, said he thought the summer's labor actions only showed how necessary the bill was.
"I am disappointed in the Governor's veto," he tweeted. But he said the fight wasn't over.
"The need continues and so will efforts to make this law in CA," he said.
Also on Saturday, Newsom delivered another blow to the state labor movement when he vetoed SB 686 to give domestic workers protections under the state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"I'm deeply disappointed that the governor doesn't recognize the inherent worth and dignity of those women who care for our homes and families by vetoeing SB 686," tweeted the bill's author Sen. MarÃa Elena Durazo. "That measure would've insured that domestic workers have the same occupational health and safety protections as others."
This is the second time that Newsom has vetoed a Durazo bill along similar lines, the Los Angeles Timesreported. The last was in 2020.
Newsom argued then and now that it is not possible to regulate private homes like businesses. For example, the bill would have required homes that asked cleaners to use bleach to provide eyewash stations.
"I am particularly concerned given that approximately 44% of the households that employ domestic workers are low-income themselves, that this bill creates severe cost burdens and penalties for many people who cannot afford them," he wrote in his veto message.
The bill was backed by the California Domestic Workers Coalition and immigrant rights groups like the Instituto de Education Popular del Sur de California.
Nancy Zuniga, a program manager for that group and a supporter of the bill, said she was inspired by her mother who is still cleaning homes at 63, though Zuniga hopes she can retire.
"If we don’t protect domestic workers, what condition will she be in when she reaches that moment?" she asked the LA Times. "A lot of them will do this until they pass."
According to a 2020 report from the University of California, Los Angeles, 85% of domestic workers live with muscular and skeletal injuries.
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'Meet the Needs of People': CBPP Pres. Parrott Tells Congress How to Avoid the Next Shutdown Showdown
"In divided government, appropriations bills must be bipartisan to pass," Sharon Parrott said, adding that the House must "shift its approach."
Oct 01, 2023
With a government shutdown narrowly avoided hours from the midnight Sunday deadline, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities president Sharon Parrott had advice for how lawmakers could move forward.
"With a stopgap measure in place, Congress needs to pass funding bills that meet the needs of people, communities, and the economy and eschew cuts already rejected in the debt ceiling agreement," Parrott wrote Saturday on the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
Parrott noted that the House was only able to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government temporarily funded Saturday when Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) abandoned attempts to pass partisan spending bills and instead pivoted to a bipartisan, clean CR with no additional social spending cuts or right-wing policies tacked on.
"They shouldn't repeat this mistake as Congress moves to complete full-year funding bills that meet the nation's needs."
"In divided government, appropriations bills must be bipartisan to pass," Parrott continued Saturday. "That's how the Senate has crafted funding bills this year, and today's House CR vote shows it is the only path forward. But that means the House needs to shift its approach."
In an August report, David Reich of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) observed that the House appropriations bills up until that point had been passed along partisan lines, with Republicans including steeper cuts to non-military spending than those negotiated in the debt ceiling agreement, rolling back Inflation Reduction Act funding earmarked for addressing the climate crisis and modernizing the Internal Revenue Service, and tacked on riders attacking LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and reproductive freedom.
"The House's sharply partisan approach is likely to make it harder to reach an agreement on final funding bills," he predicted accurately.
Now that the House has passed a temporary clean CR, Parrott urged Republicans to learn from the experience.
"It took House Republicans too long to abandon their partisan approach of deep cuts and controversial riders in a CR," Parrott said. "They shouldn't repeat this mistake as Congress moves to complete full-year funding bills that meet the nation's needs."
If they return to pushing cuts and poison pills, she warned, "that would only waste more time and risk more shutdown drama."
Whether House Republicans will heed her advice remains to be seen. As of Sunday, most of the talk within the party revolved around whether or not the far-right flank would challenge McCarthy's speakership over Saturday's compromise.
Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) toldABC News' This Week that he planned to file a motion in the coming week to remove McCarthy.
"I am relentless and I will continue pursue this objective," Gaetz said.
In response, McCarthy told Gaetz to "Bring it on" when speaking withCBS's Face the Nation.
"Let's get over with it and let's start governing," he said.
In a Sunday appearance on CNN's State of the Union, however, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned the Republicans' ability to do that.
"The Republican Party right now is completely out of step with the American people," she said, observing that even self-described moderates had voted for spending bills that would cut funding for low-income schools by 80%.
"This is not a moderate party, period," she said. "There are not moderates in the Republican Party."
As a shutdown loomed, She said the party had "run around the House like a Roomba until they found a door that House Democrats opened."
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