All Pipelines Considered,” a discussion with Dr. Phil Bellfy of the numerous planned and existing fossil fuel pipelines in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains. Bellfy is the State Chair of the Keep Our Lakes Great Ballot Committee that circulated a petition to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5, which crosses the Upper Peninsula and the Straits of Mackinac. He is also Professor Emeritus of American Indian Studies, Michigan State University, and an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa. Recently, he, and other American Indians, submitted a "Rule 19 Joinder" petition to the federal court dealing with the Enbridge v. Whitmer case over the future of Line 5. Bellfy will also talk about Enbridge’s Line 3, Keystone XL, and other controversial pipelines from an Indigenous perspective.
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UPEC Livestreams: Keeping you connected with the UP environment
Our series of livestreams, co-hosted by Board President Horst Schmidt and Vice President Evan Zimmermann, keeps you up-to-date with environmental issues facing the Upper Peninsula.
Please note: as of November 2021, you can view all archived recordings of the livestreams anytime on UPEC’s Facebook page. Earlier posts below link to UPEC’s YouTube channel, which is no longer being used for this purpose.
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Regional environmental groups are celebrating the news that a disputed Wetlands Permit for a planned mine close to the Menominee River has been denied by a Michigan Administrative Law Judge, concluding a two-year contested case. On Thursday, January 14 at 7:00 pm EST, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s “This Is It!” livestream series will explore the background and future implications of this important ruling in “A Win for Wetlands!”
In 2018, the state of Michigan sparked controversy when it approved the mining company’s Wetlands Permit over the objections of professional regulatory staff who were prepared to deny the permit. Environmental groups appealed, and in a January 4 ruling the Administrative Law Judge canceled the permit, essentially blocking, and perhaps killing, a project that would have posed grave pollution threats to wetlands and the waters of the Menominee River.
“This decision is a thoughtful, clear-eyed rebuke of this project,” said UPEC President Horst Schmidt. “The company’s approach to permitting the proposed mine has been hasty and incompetent, and reveals a disregard for Michigan’s natural resources. The decision demonstrates that the Wetland Permit was subject to denial for dozens of reasons.”
“A Win for Wetlands!” is an interactive panel discussion featuring four people who have been fighting the project for years: Al Gedicks of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, Dale Burie of the Coalition to Save the Menominee, Guy Reiter of Menikanaehkem, and Kathleen Heideman of the Mining Action Group.
With your hosts Horst Schmidt and Evan Zimmermann
Wednesday, December 30, 2020, 7 pm EST, livestreamed via Facebook and Zoom (links below)
· A red hot election season…
· A wild president…
· The coronavirus…
· A worldwide pandemic…
It’s been a year like nothing ever before! What did it all mean … and where are we going in 2021? Join us on December 30th for a review of environmental issues from a UPEC perspective.
WORLDWIDE • NATIONWIDE • STATEWIDE • AND THE UP!
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