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Front Line Defense:
Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination
Mark 30 Years of Defending Michigan's Environment By Robert E. Martin
Photo caption: Founding members of Lone Tree
Council and CACC:
It
is not the best of times for Michigan's environment and the natural
resources that define it, despite the efforts of a multi-million dollar
state-sponsored marketing campaign that extols Michigan's 'Fresh Water'
to draw tourists to the beaches in the summer of $4.00 gas.
Only a few weeks ago, Lt. Gov. John Cherry, once a committed
conservationist, overrode his own DEQ by allowing an Army Corps of
Engineer's designed dioxin pit to be placed in Zilwaukee & Frankenlust
townships, without benefit of a slurry wall or groundwater
permit.
Instead of heeding the advice of his own DEQ's research, the Lt.
Governor relied upon a study paid for by The Dow Chemical Company, and
done by a Dow contractor without peer-review or public comment.
The firing of EPA Region V administrator Mary Gade, a
conscientious and committed civil servant, who oversaw the first
removals of contaminants from our watershed in 30 years, then followed
this action by Cherry. The dismissal resulted in Rep. John Dingell
(D-Detroit) ordering his oversight staff to investigate the firing.
And to make matters more disconcerting, April 21st witnessed the first
state permit hearing on a proposed coal-burning plant - on wetlands - in
Midland; the first move in an effort to construct seven coal burning
plants in Michigan, two of them in the Mid-Michigan area.
Without doubt, coal is by far the dirtiest fossil fuel. If new plants
are built they will dump hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere each year for decades to come, resulting in
documented increases in asthma & heart attacks, neurological damage from
toxic mercury, and increased health costs all off-loaded onto the
shoulders of the Michigan taxpayer.
But despite this genuinely depressing news and genuinely significant
developments, grass-roots environmental organizations such as The
Lone Tree Council and Citizens Against Chemical Contamination
are at least diligently monitoring and fighting these developments.
Amazingly, both organizations are on the cusp of celebrating their 30th
anniversaries. And seeing as any organization is only as formidable as
the individuals comprising it, perhaps we should look and listen a
little closer to the men & women that have staked a significant claim on
protecting Michigan's natural resources for the past three decades.
"At our height we had 5,000 people show up in Midland to combat
development of Consumer's Nuclear Power Plant, and a good 250 dues
paying members," explains Pat Race.
"Our first activities centered around the issues of nuclear power,
wetlands protection, incinerators, and chemical contamination,"
continues Terry Miller, 'but challenging construction of the
nuclear plant was pivotal.
"Whether or not we were instrumental in the actual rejection of it, we
played a significant role and for many of us that issue awakened an
awareness of the problems that exist here in the Saginaw Valley," he
continues.
"We are water impaired 12 out of 14 ways that you can measure water, so
all of us made a choice to mobilize together after the nuclear plant
issue and work to make this area a better watershed."
"We became aware that we were a political force, making a statement
about the standards & quality of resources that affect all of us and as
we did so, the community became aware of us," reflects Edna
Kay-Simmons. "I recall our first Earth Day event, Hands Around
the River, resulted in enough people showing up to ring the Saginaw
River between bridges in Bay City."
Isn't it easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of such
tight-fisted control?
"In terms of the dioxin slurry pit being constructed in Zilwaukee, all
along we've believed it's being built in the wrong location, next to
residential areas, game areas, in the flood plain, when a perfectly
suitable alternative location near the old GM plant has not been
pursued."
"No environmental impact statement was made, the issue went to Federal
Court, the State of Michigan suggested betterments, a geological study
indicated the sand lines near the pit leak out so a liner should be
installed along with a slurry wall, and the DEQ set a hearing for the
groundwater permit," he continues.
"The response is basically 'we'll take our $2 million and run, we don't
have the money, so two weeks ago the DEQ director says 'Do these things
or we'll take you to court', and then the Lt. Governor intervenes."
"The Army Corps of Engineers way is not the way to go. All the proof you
need on that is found in one word: Katrina."
Regarding the firing of Mary Gade, Miller is equally dismayed.
"One of the strongest supporters for Dioxin Clean-up has been the
Region V EPA," notes Miller. "When the State of Michigan became
reluctant to pursue clean-up with Dow, the EPA stepped in and said 'Do
it! This resulted in the first time in 35 years that we saw
removals of contaminants from the Tittabawassee River last summer, and
Mary Gade was the woman behind it."
"Now she gets fired by the Bush Administration. This is the power of
corporate America; but as least she's not going out easily. However,
that's the difficulty of truly addressing environmental issues in this
world today."
"It's not a happy time for the environment. Politicians and corporations
are governed by the budget, but they neglect to realize that our most
valuable possession is the quality of our environment and it is the
State's responsibility to assure that quality and protect those
resources.".
"The solution is simple. Dow Chemical has to clean it up once it's
proven they created the contamination."
Apparently the solution is not quite as simple as Granholm stated. Isn't
it easy for the founding core of Lone Tree to get jaded and cynical?
More important, what keeps them going?
"Granholm said the same thing when she addressed us," smiles Pat
Race. "But I think it's really all about perspective. In the case of
Michigan, we're caught in a paradigm shift. Half the state is looking at
the 21st Century and half is living in the 20th. I don't think we have
21st Century leadership at a legislative level because it's being
compromised by the economic state of Michigan."
"Nationally, states are usually more progressive on energy issues that
the federal government," interjects Miller.
"In California they are quite progressive and even have a Republican
governor, but they're in better economic shape so that helped move them
in a positive direction."
"We're still stuck in that 'Rust Belt' mentality, which is very
frustrating. When an Administration's own regulatory system is
compromised by the political system, jobs is always the excuse, which is
understandable." "But more upsetting is the fact we have 7 projected possible coal plants slated to be built in Michigan, in this age of global warming, two of them proposed in this Valley," continues Race.
"This is 19th Century thinking. Five states have put a moratorium on
them. For one slated in Kansas, the governor said, "No, we're not going
to have them."
"I don't think they'll go through," states Miller. "But the biggest
fight will be the one slated for Hampton Township. Frankly, I've never
seen more coordination among state environmental groups. Clean Water
Action, The Michigan Environmental Council, Sierra Club, all the
groups are working against these project sites."
Considering with the issue of Dioxin, for example, that the
migratory patterns from the proposed slurry pit will easily allow the
likelihood that contaminants could leach into the Lake Huron water
system, why isn't there more outrage?
"Actually, among the environmental community, we've been trying to get
that message out statewide," answers Miller.
"Dioxins have already been identified in Traverse City and they'll never
be able to retrieve them if they get into the bay. It is a statewide
issue, but difficult to get people concerned about water when they are
out of work."
"But with 20 percent of the fresh water in the world at stake, this
should not be taken for granted and we need to raise the level of
consciousness on that."
"Several of us attended a meeting of joint scientists at a world level
discussing declining water levels. Part of the scientific community is
divided. One view is that declining water levels are cyclical, the other
is that its not a lack of precipitation so much as an issue of
evaporation created by Global Warming. Lake Superior has never been
warmer in its history."
"Water is clearly our goal, yet Michigan still hasn't signed on to the
Great Lakes Compact yet. The Legislature is still approving water
withdrawals in plastic bottles."
"The DEQ doesn't even have a budget yet, to my knowledge, so they can't
execute permit requirements. It's almost a mantra - anything the DEQ
steps in to do any regulation and enforcement and basically do its job,
the mantra becomes 'the DEQ is out of control'. This is a sound bite
with no relevance, especially when they are the arm designed to protect
valuable resources."
"We aim to hold Dow Chemical accountable for the complete clean-up of
the Tittabawassee & Saginaw rivers and the watersheds around it," states
Race.
"We also seek control of what goes into the dredge disposal facility and
want to see alternatives pursued to using an unlined slurry pit. There
are alternatives out there, such as using geo tubes."
"Then of course you have the coal issue. It's not just global warming
evaporating the Great Lakes, they are getting dirtier. Corporations
spends millions on ads convincing ratepayers coal is a 'clean
technology, but its not. 50 pounds of mercury a year are released with
coal. Coal releases nitrous oxide mixed with sulfate that creates acid
ran and smog. Coal releases an estimated 6 million tons of carbon
dioxide a year, and this is supposed to be their 'clean' technology."
"I was at Michigan State University at an energy conference and CACC has
a small table," recalls John Wituckai, "so I decided to join.
That was 25 years ago and I've been involved with them ever since."
"CACC got its start when the State of Michigan planned to spray a huge
area of central Michigan with Demeron, which CACC managed to stop by
going door-to-door and getting neighbors involved," explains Kay
Cumbow, Chairwoman of CACC.
"We filed a lawsuit to stop the spraying and won three important items:
first we stopped the spraying; second, any person slated for spraying
would receive a warning, and finally, any chemical spraying is required
to go to biological departments."
This was quite a victory, so we went on to organize a ban on coal plants
and developed a clearing house for papers and studies on every toxic
issue that surfaced," she continues.
"Today we have become more vocalized, with chapters in Alpena, Madison
Heights, Freeland, and Alcona."
"One of our key focal points is the Lefarge Cement Plant in
Alpena, because of the amounts of mercury they discharge."
For 25 years CACC has sponsored a Backyard Eco Conference drawing
grass roots speakers from throughout the Great Lakes region along with
scientists and experts from national groups.
"For me personally, one of my biggest accomplishments occurred 15 years
ago when works from the Dow plant in Bay City came and told me about
radioactive thorium waste being bulldozed into the Saginaw River,"
explains John.
"After taking Geiger counter readings and photos and pressing the issue,
it took Dow two years and $17 million dollars to get all the radioactive
waste out of the banks of the river they were trying to bulldoze into,
so I have a feeling I'm on a 'list' somewhere."
"Our key goals now center around nuclear power plants on Lake Huron and
a low-level radioactive waste dump that will service about 20 nuclear
plants," he continues.
"A geological repository is being planned a couple miles from the shores
of Lake Huron underground, so the same issues of leakage exist as with
the slurry pit in Saginaw County."
"Nuclear waste destroys any benefit in reduction of green house gases
and you have to worry about it for 10,000 years. Nukes put out a lot of
hot water that will kill fish and overall, it's nasty business."
"We have witnessed progress on this issue," notes Kay, "as CACC managed
to win money from the Canadian government to comment on draft guidelines
for the repository, seeing as a lot of their nuclear waste is set to go
there. Normally it just goes through an environmental assessment, but
Bart Stupak and other activist legislators have won the push for
reason."
Another focal point for CACC is the issue of toxic trains transporting
chemicals.
"Periodically, I'll walk the tracks around Bay City and found a spike
sticking out of a wobbly track. People finally came and corrected it and
did the job they were getting paid to do."
"On the Liberty Street Bridge I saw a train coming over and this guy
jumped in a row boat to go to the center island so he could swing the
bridge allowing the train to travel," relates Pat Race. "That's the
level of safety we're dealing with. It was only a few minutes to spare
before the train hit the point where it crossed."
"The latest issue of Mother Jones is how young college students
formed a group and went from having 10 demonstrations to 1400
demonstrations a year. Young people are stepping up to the plate."
"I tell my daughters that if we didn't do this and weren't blatantly
successful, at least we're an obstacle to the practice of stream rolling
and 'business as usual'," reflects John.
"We help slow things down and help the good forces in the government
attempt to handle issues the right way. If nothing else, we can help
prevent things that have happened here from happening in other towns
across the country."
"Most of us are optimistic people," concludes Terry Miller. "We grew up
in the '60s and saw when can be accomplished by mobilizing. Change can
occur and we're hopeful it will."
"It may not happen in our lifetime, but nobody can fault us for trying."
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