 Enbridge Energy's Alberta Clipper pipeline would run from Hardisty, Alberta, to Superior, Wis. (MPR Graphic/Than Tibbetts) Dirty Oil Sands Network: An international network of environmental groups recently kicked off a campaign asking Clinton to stop the Alberta Clipper pipeline project. The groups launched a web site, http://www.dirtyoilsands.org/, ran newspaper ads, and sent emails asking citizens to weigh in. More than 20,000 people have written Clinton. The tar sands project threatens the Great Lakes and would crisscross the Northern Plains and Native American reservations. Proposed pipelines would run through the Dakotas, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Farmers, ranchers, tribes and Midwestern landowners have all opposed the pipelines, citing risks of oil spills and water and air pollution. Despite the significant threats this project poses to our national interest and economy, to date no national department has ever reviewed the full scope or long-term impacts of creating a permanent continental-wide infrastructure to accept Canada's dirty oil sands. Instead, this decision has been left to local jurisdictions to review, pipeline by pipeline, refinery by refinery, permit by permit. www.dirtyoilsands.org |
Indigenous Environmental NetworkLeech Lake: The Leech Lake Court hearing was only the latest in a series of actions that tribal members have been participating in. They have long been concerned about a wide range of issues ranging from tribal sovereignty issues; to environmental and health concerns should oil spills occur (with recent oil spills on record ); and threats to America’s second largest bald eagle population, which nest on tribal land. They have held rallies and marches, succeeding in getting participation from many non-tribal member. Over 600 petitions were signed to seek a referendum to overturn Leech Lake Tribal council’s vote permitting the pipeline. Leech Lake tribal members and IEN also recently sent a letter to Sec. Clinton asking her to deny the permit for the Alberta Clipper pipeline and they have begun outreach to other D.C. based politicians and policy makers.IEN is an Indigenous environmental justice network-grassroots organization, founded in 1990. We strive to empower Indigenous and First Nations communities to speak for themselves; to build community leadership and develop capacity and political knowledge to protect and maintain the health of communities and tribal nations. We do this through direct engagement of the community, recognizing existing strengths and resources, such as traditional indigenous knowledge, and building upon them to create positive and lasting systemic change. Indigenous peoples have a strong tradition and history of caring for the environment, are disproportionately affected by environmental health risks, and yet are largely ignored within the environmental and other social justice movements. IEN works to bring the essential voice of Indigenous Peoples to the table. |
Photo Caption: Leech Lake tribal member Sandy Nichols tells Minnesota Capitol reporters that
she fears pollution will follow the construction of two pipelines across
northern Minnesota. With her are Marty Cobenais of the Indigenous Environmental
Network (center) and American Indian activist Clyde Bellecourt. (Photo Credit: Don Davis /
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