Northern Mich~Mash Preserve
~ ENVIRONMENT ~
(PIPELINES and MORE.)
~ PUBLICLY SPEAKING ~
(PIPELINES and MORE.)
~ PUBLICLY SPEAKING ~
The design and compilation of the text and photos on this site are copyrighted 2017.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some color highlighted words may access additional information.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some color highlighted words may access additional information.
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
1947
Getting a start on laying the telephone cable across the straits;
Burrowing through Petoskey in 1950...
Burrowing through Petoskey in 1950...
Lake Levels Always a Concern...
So why build so closely to lake frontage?
1952
So why build so closely to lake frontage?
1952
ANSWER??? to the need for an Underwater Pipeline???
"PIPELINE BRIDGE"
1955
~ Bay Harbor ~
(Previously Three Fires Pointe)
(Previously Three Fires Pointe)
For additional information about Bay Harbor on this same Northern Mich~Mash Preserve web site...
click HERE.
click HERE.
~ Crestview Mall ~
(Corner of US 131 and Sheridan Street)
(Corner of US 131 and Sheridan Street)
~ Water Diversion from Lake Michigan ~
Two Photo/Texts Below and Right from 23 September 1970 Petoskey News Review: In 2023 one wonders what ever became of this oil exploration. In 1970 the Coastal States Oil Company Exploration Division for Atlantic Inland Oil Corporation had installed an oil rig on privately owned property off Pleasantview Road, a quarter of a mile off Robinson Road in northern Emmet County. The rig was operating 24 hours a day. A huge pump was pumping water from the Maple River through a temporary plastic pipe to the drilling site a quarter of a mile away to cool the drill bit. Click HERE to contact the web master with any information about this oil exploration.
|
~ Enbridge ~
Access the 1953 Easement with the State of Michigan of Line 5 by clicking HERE.
The 30" pipe line runs for 645 miles from Wisconsin, through the Upper Peninsula,
and then splits into two 20" OD parallel pipelines, running under the Straits of Mackinac
and on through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Line 5 transports light crude oil and natural gas liquids.
In Canada, most of the petroleum goes to gasoline refineries.
Some oil goes to the Marathon Refinery in Detroit, and some is shipped overseas.
The 30" pipe line runs for 645 miles from Wisconsin, through the Upper Peninsula,
and then splits into two 20" OD parallel pipelines, running under the Straits of Mackinac
and on through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Line 5 transports light crude oil and natural gas liquids.
In Canada, most of the petroleum goes to gasoline refineries.
Some oil goes to the Marathon Refinery in Detroit, and some is shipped overseas.
1953
Articles Above and Below: In May 1953 the pipes were being stockpiled in Pellston, just waiting for the progress that was happening by September 1953 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan... pipe just lying in wait.
Photo Above from 6 May 1953 Petoskey Evening News had the following text written below it: "They're measuring pipe by the acre at Pellston as supplies mount for the laying of oil-carrying lines from Mackinaw City to Port Huron. Monday night 50 freight cars of the pipe were unloaded and today the 15 acre lot leased by the village was nearly full. Two pieces of the 30-inch pipe, each 40 feet long, will be joined in the yard and transported to the ditch. Brushing operations along the line's location has been started. (Evening News Photo)"
The 30-inch pipe OD [outside diameter] diminishes to two 20-inch pipes when going under the Straits.
The 30-inch pipe OD [outside diameter] diminishes to two 20-inch pipes when going under the Straits.
~ PILES of PIPE at the Side of the Diamond ~
1953
1953
~ Pipe Laying Statistics ~
1953
Bleachers being built to accommodate expected 2,000 spectators...
1953
Bleachers being built to accommodate expected 2,000 spectators...
~ It took only one week to install the first pipe across the Straits ~
AND
~ 65 hours to install the second pipe across the Straits ~
(in 1953)
AND
~ 65 hours to install the second pipe across the Straits ~
(in 1953)
Consumers Power Company lays power cables across the straits very near the oil pipelines.
Map Below: Marks of four red arrows have been placed on the Emmet County GIS Map; pointing out the approximate areas of the two pipelines as they enter the Straits of Mackinac from both the north and the south. The pipelines lie west of the Mackinac Bridge which is also shown on the above map connecting St. Ignace in the north and Mackinaw City in the south. Compare this map below to the 1956 map with the article/map above showing the general areas of the telephone, power, and oil pipelines to go across the straits.
Laying the Consumers Power Company Cable
to link the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan
1968
Gas Pipe Line on 68 Train Cars
Gas Pipe Line on 68 Train Cars
1989
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, Governors prepare in case of oil spill on Great Lakes.
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, Governors prepare in case of oil spill on Great Lakes.
Regarding above article:
Where is the $100,000,000.00 the eight states were to have collected?
If spent... on what was the money spent? AND the results?
Where is the $100,000,000.00 the eight states were to have collected?
If spent... on what was the money spent? AND the results?
1991
2010
Enbridge Tax Benefits for Mackinaw City and Emmet County
affects local governmental officials' decisions...
affects local governmental officials' decisions...
Regarding the 17 April 1969 Article Above: Mackinaw City extended its taxable limits by extending their corporation limits two miles out into Straits of Mackinac. How much money do local Northern Michigan governmental entities gain from Enbridge? Here is the answer to how much Emmet County benefits from Enbridge taxes!!! "Enbridge alone pumped $7,132,646 million in taxable value into Emmet County in 2014." So, it all comes down to immediate money... not what the future COSTS to the public will be. This information was furnished on page A-5 of Appendix A "County of Emmet General Financial, Economic & Statistical Information" accompanying the 2014 $15,000,000.00 non-voted bond to be issued as information to encourage investors for making an investment decision.
Below, is the answer to how much the State of Michigan benefits from Enbridge taxes!!! "Enbridge alone pumps close to $160 million in Michigan taxes..." So, it all comes down to immediate money... not what the future COSTS to the public will be. Click HERE for the rest of the article from the Bridge commentary shown below.
Enbridge Tax Benefits to Emmet County in 2019 were $690,454.
Enbridge Benefit... Kickback or Payoff???
The 27 June 2017 Bridge Magazine reported about Enbridge Line 5:
"What is Line 5?
A 30” diameter, 645-mile pipeline that carries light crude oil and liquid propane from Superior, Wis., through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and then splits into two 20-inch diameter parallel pipelines that cross just west of the Mackinac Bridge on the lake floor of the 4.6-mile long Straits of Mackinac (which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron). It then travels south through the Lower Peninsula, until slanting east from Bay City and crossing under the St. Clair River at Sarnia, Ont. where most of the oil goes to gasoline refineries. Some oil goes to the Marathon Refinery in Detroit and some is shipped overseas."
The 21 December 2018 Petoskey News Review reported: "The Straits of Mackinac is home to an underwater section of Enbridge’s Line 5 petroleum pipeline, which is targeted for replacement by a set of pipes running inside a tunnel."
The 17 May 2019 Petoskey News Review article titled "Documents record multiple anchor strikes in Straits" reported: "Last year, on April 1, a vessel dropped its anchor along the bottom of the Straits, denting Enbridge’s Line 5 petroleum pipeline in three spots and releasing insulating mineral oil from an American Transmission Co. electrical cable.
Enbridge has since repaired the pipeline damage, and American Transmission is in the process of extended repairs, which are slated to wrap up in 2021. But recent events have brought renewed scrutiny. Earlier this week U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, released new footage showing the scene at the bottom of the Straits in the weeks following the strike.
"'We now know of multiple anchor strikes that have occurred to the Straits of Mackinac. This was not the first time this has happened. It’s happened previously, and the damage that has occurred due to that can very easily happen again,'" stated Jennifer McKay, policy director for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council."
Enbridge has since repaired the pipeline damage, and American Transmission is in the process of extended repairs, which are slated to wrap up in 2021. But recent events have brought renewed scrutiny. Earlier this week U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, released new footage showing the scene at the bottom of the Straits in the weeks following the strike.
"'We now know of multiple anchor strikes that have occurred to the Straits of Mackinac. This was not the first time this has happened. It’s happened previously, and the damage that has occurred due to that can very easily happen again,'" stated Jennifer McKay, policy director for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council."
Update from Cheboygan County's Finance Committee Meeting Minutes...
The 6 December 2019 Petoskey News Review reported with the following headline:
"Enbridge sampling leaves long-lasting debris in Straits."
"Enbridge sampling leaves long-lasting debris in Straits."
While Enbridge associated crews were collecting rock and soil samples in the straits on 12 September 2019, "a bore hole collapsed, leaving mechanical debris at the bottom of the waterway." That debris included a lodged 40-foot long piece of three inch drill rod, and another 45-foot piece on top of the lake's bed, in an area of the straits which is about 240 feet deep. The crews purposely did not report the incident and debris to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, until 19 November 2019. The crew has had problems retrieving the debris, and has decided to wait until Spring 2020 for any further retrieval attempt. The attempted boring was in preparation for the proposed tunnel under the straits to house the aging pipelines. Jennifer McKay of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in Petoskey, Michigan, has asked for a complete shut down or the pipeline, stating: "How can the public be confident that there will not be any additional collapses or problems during drilling of a tunnel if Enbridge can't even bore a hole without it collapsing?" in a statement she gave to the News-Review.
Relevance???? 22 Cooks Needed????
Any connection to "relevance" to NEED TO FEED
Proposed Tunnel Building Workers?
Any connection to "relevance" to NEED TO FEED
Proposed Tunnel Building Workers?
2020
Sounds like the Tunnel is moving forward....
Sounds like the Tunnel is moving forward....
The pipes/tunnel run across the Straits of Mackinac,
from Emmet County in Lower Michigan to Mackinac County in the Upper Peninsula in Upper Michigan.
"Enbridge Quietly Buys Land for Tunnel"
(CLICK on above title to read entire article)
By Ted Roelofs of Bridge Magazine
Published in the 10 March 2020 Petoskey News Review
from Emmet County in Lower Michigan to Mackinac County in the Upper Peninsula in Upper Michigan.
"Enbridge Quietly Buys Land for Tunnel"
(CLICK on above title to read entire article)
By Ted Roelofs of Bridge Magazine
Published in the 10 March 2020 Petoskey News Review
As of 20 March 2020 the Emmet County Property Search reveals that Tri-State Holdings LLC owns 20 parcels, all in the Mackinaw City area. The owner's mailing address is PO Box 2629 in Addison TX 75001. "Wawatam Township Supervisor Roger Moore noted that the parcels are where preliminary Enbridge plans show the tunnel would emerge from the Straits and link with the company's underground pipeline that continues on a southeast path through lower Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario."
Items posted farther above also reference the economical effect that Enbridge has fueled for Emmet County, Wawatam Township, the roads, fire service, Mackinaw City, and Mackinaw Public Schools, for instance. Bridge reported, "Mackinaw City Public Schools, with a budget of $2.4 million for its 155 students, is slated to get $360,000 in tax revenue from Enbridge, 15 per-cent of its budget. 'If we were to lose $360,000 of revenue, we would be in a very difficult situation with very difficult decisions ahead,' Superintendent Jeffrey Curth told Bridge. We would be under some drastic budget constraints.”
In Lower Michigan, the Village of Mackinaw City is split between Cheboygan County to the east and Emmet County to the west. Understanding the economic dynamics for the entities of Mackinaw City, reveals why people on the Emmet County side of the village which reaps the MONEY, are okay with the pipeline and/or the tunnel which runs on the west side of the village. The Cheboygan side of the village voices its apprehension of future pipeline leaks, or tragedies that could come from Enbridge holdings, with Cheboygan County reaping no monetary benefits, even along the way!
Items posted farther above also reference the economical effect that Enbridge has fueled for Emmet County, Wawatam Township, the roads, fire service, Mackinaw City, and Mackinaw Public Schools, for instance. Bridge reported, "Mackinaw City Public Schools, with a budget of $2.4 million for its 155 students, is slated to get $360,000 in tax revenue from Enbridge, 15 per-cent of its budget. 'If we were to lose $360,000 of revenue, we would be in a very difficult situation with very difficult decisions ahead,' Superintendent Jeffrey Curth told Bridge. We would be under some drastic budget constraints.”
In Lower Michigan, the Village of Mackinaw City is split between Cheboygan County to the east and Emmet County to the west. Understanding the economic dynamics for the entities of Mackinaw City, reveals why people on the Emmet County side of the village which reaps the MONEY, are okay with the pipeline and/or the tunnel which runs on the west side of the village. The Cheboygan side of the village voices its apprehension of future pipeline leaks, or tragedies that could come from Enbridge holdings, with Cheboygan County reaping no monetary benefits, even along the way!
This Enbridge tunnel effect will DOUBLE... the same effects have to happen on the north side of the straits as well; in Mackinac County, the other end of the pipeline/tunnel Mackinac County is located on the north side of the Straits of Mackinac, and thus the other major reaper of Enbridge MONEY. Mackinac County has posted its 06/19/2019 Top 20 SEVs, its Top 20 Taxable Values and its Top 20 Owners by Taxable Value; no surprise that American Transmission Co. LLC AND Enbridge Energy LLC rank right up toward the TOP of each list. Access this information by clicking HERE; Veritable "hush money" (so no complaining about environmental issues) in the guise of tax revenue....
The 28 May 2020 Petoskey News Review reported that "Enbridge finds protective coating gaps on Line 5." Enbridge said they had discovered four spots where protective coating has worn away, leaving bare metal exposed. Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said no integrity issues were determined, and Line 5 remains safe. Enbridge has fixed the same type issue in the past.
The 11 June 2020 Petoskey News Review reported that "the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholds Enbridge's Great Lakes spill plans."
The 12 June 2020 Petoskey News Review reported that "Court: Michigan Great Lakes tunnel deal constitutional." It was ruled that the lame-duck December 2018 legislators "did not violate the state constitution by allowing construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, clearing the way for the project to proceed unless the state appeals again... The ruling was a victory for Enbridge, which says it plans to finish the tunnel by 2024."
The 20 June 2020 Petoskey News Review reported that "Gov. Whitmer questions Enbridge CEO about new Line 5 pipeline damage." Enbridge, the Canadian oil transport giant on 18 June 2020 reported "significant damage to an anchor support helping hold the pipeline steady along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac... This support lies approximately 150 feet from a section of the pipeline where damage to the pipeline coating was discovered on or around May 26... Enbridge shut down the pipeline and is gathering more information through divers, the use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and the other means."
On 25 June 2020 UpNorthLive TV 7 & 4 reported "A Michigan judge has ordered a temporary restraining order against Enbridge Energy requiring them to cease all transport operations of Line 5, the twin pipeline which carries crude oil and liquid natural gas in the Straits of Mackinac....Enbridge is also required to disclose information in its possession related to the recent damage caused to the pipeline's eastern segment."
25 July 2020 the Petoskey News Review reported in an article titled "Who did it? Enbridge contractor vessels may have bumped pipeline support": Recent damage prompted the temporary shutdown of one of the Enbridge oil pipelines going across the Straits of Mackinac. "Four of the five likeliest suspects were Enbridge contractors doing maintenance or geotechnical work related to the company's plan to build a tunnel for a replacement pipeline beneath the straits.... The other was a dredging craft..." Enbridge downplayed the damage by stating, "the nature of the damage and drag marks in the lakebed pointed to a cable or anchor from a small or “moderately sized” vessel. An anchor from one of the large commercial ships that transit the straits would have left a deeper gash."
The 15 October 2020 Petoskey News Review reported the "Find of a Lifetime? Group thinks it has proof of 10,000-year-old, Ice Age culture in Straits of Mackinac". A group comprised mostly of Native American tribal citizens, utilized a remote-operated underwater vehicle in the Straits of Mackinac to take a look at Enbridge's Line 5 oil and natural gas pipelines on the lake bottom. But among the things they found were stones they say appear arranged in circular and linear patterns on the lake floor."
If the tribe could claim the area as a "cultural site" that would have a great effect on the construction of the Enbridge tunnel. "EGLE spokesman Hugh McDiarmid Jr. said the cultural assessment portion of Enbridge's wetlands and submerged lands permits for the Line 5 tunnel project were received earlier this year and forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office... Because all but the entrance and egress points of the proposed pipeline tunnel will be encased in bedrock, 'our feeling is that this route through bedrock greatly reduces the likelihood that it would be routed through preserved historic artifacts,' he said."
If the tribe could claim the area as a "cultural site" that would have a great effect on the construction of the Enbridge tunnel. "EGLE spokesman Hugh McDiarmid Jr. said the cultural assessment portion of Enbridge's wetlands and submerged lands permits for the Line 5 tunnel project were received earlier this year and forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office... Because all but the entrance and egress points of the proposed pipeline tunnel will be encased in bedrock, 'our feeling is that this route through bedrock greatly reduces the likelihood that it would be routed through preserved historic artifacts,' he said."
13 November 2020
Michigan Governor Whitmer Calls for Shutdown of Line 5
Michigan Governor Whitmer Calls for Shutdown of Line 5
Petoskey News Review reporter William Perkins reported in the 13 November 2020 issue:
"Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took legal action Friday that would potentially see to the shutdown of Line 5 by late spring... The announcement Friday targets the original 1953 agreement between Michigan and Enbridge’s predecessor company, allowing the pipe to pass through Michigan waters."
Whitmer and the DNR revoked and ended that agreement.
Recently the pipeline has sustained two sizable anchor strikes and Enbridge has failed to provide proper supports for the pipeline every 75 feet.
Of course, Enbridge makes counterclaims that Line 5 remains safe.
Governor Whitmer allows Enbridge to continue to seek the construction permits that would be necessary to build the controversial tunnel proposed by Enbridge.
"Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took legal action Friday that would potentially see to the shutdown of Line 5 by late spring... The announcement Friday targets the original 1953 agreement between Michigan and Enbridge’s predecessor company, allowing the pipe to pass through Michigan waters."
Whitmer and the DNR revoked and ended that agreement.
Recently the pipeline has sustained two sizable anchor strikes and Enbridge has failed to provide proper supports for the pipeline every 75 feet.
Of course, Enbridge makes counterclaims that Line 5 remains safe.
Governor Whitmer allows Enbridge to continue to seek the construction permits that would be necessary to build the controversial tunnel proposed by Enbridge.
Fear Mongering???
On 29 January 2021 the Petoskey News Review reported: "State Oks permits for Enbridge's straits of Mackinac tunnel project". The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) granted two permits the energy company filed in April pertaining to how the proposed construction project will affect wetlands and dispose of wastewater."
The 14 May 2021 Petoskey News Review article below presented an alternate view
as to where Line 5 actually delivers its crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
as to where Line 5 actually delivers its crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
For Special Report: "The origins of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline in the Straits",
Click HERE.
Click HERE.
Minutes Below: The 8 July 2021 Emmet County Road Commission meeting minutes makes one wonder WHERE on earth is all that stone going to be trucked? Is it to be used to mix concrete for the tunnel? What is the route plan with the road commission? Who will pay for the road repair?
Enbridge had lost an anchor
from one of its own maintenance vessels between the two pipelines protruding across the straits.
from one of its own maintenance vessels between the two pipelines protruding across the straits.
Advertisement Below: This sounds like an advertisement for someone to be willing to hire on as a "SCAPEGOAT" for when the pipeline completely is no longer safe... All your fault "Mechanical Technician" person. Hire on to take the blame of any malfunction or future anchor dragging accident.
This Enbridge Pipeline situation needs to be addressed...perhaps even on a National Scale.
The waters in the Great Lakes should be a concern of our national welfare and security!
Enbridge promotes many complimentary descriptions of their Line 5 which so many are protesting.
Click HERE to read the Bridge Magazine 27 June 2017 article titled:
"A cheat sheet to the Enbridge Line 5 controversy"
"A cheat sheet to the Enbridge Line 5 controversy"
~ Alternative Answer to Removing Line 5 Crossing the Straits ~
Just check the map below...
Just check the map below...
MAP below of Line 5 Route: Notice that the petroleum that leaves from Superior could take an alternate EXISTENT route ALL ON LAND, without going across/under the water... the straits, and still reach Sarnia... with it as the main destination of Sarnia. IF Enbridge still wanted petoleum to go across the Upper Peninsula, that also could happen, but just stop the pipeline at the straits. AND, IF Enbridge wants the petroleum to go up to Lewiston and reach the straits that would still be possible with existing pipeline that travels only over land; not over major water-the straits!
The Petoskey News Review 21 October 2022 reported that
"Feds say Enbridge can stop some cracks inspections ~ Environment groups concerned about risk".
"Feds say Enbridge can stop some cracks inspections ~ Environment groups concerned about risk".
Previously, Canadian oil transport giant Enbridge had to conduct internal inspections of certain kinds of cracks in their dual pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac, using special equipment; no longer. Envionmental groups fear this new edict is a huge risk to the entire Great Lakes, and the surrounding regions. Enbridge is more interested in pursuing their proposed $500 million tunnel than in checking cracks.
November 2022
Emmet County accommodates Enbridge with a Land Property Exchange
(in preparation for the Enbridge tunnel)
Emmet County accommodates Enbridge with a Land Property Exchange
(in preparation for the Enbridge tunnel)
Below: GIS Land Map Highlighting the Emmet County and Enbridge Property Exchange
A Real Estate Exchange Agreement between the County of Emmet and Tri-State Holdings which agrees to facilitate collaboration by ENBRIDGE with the county was agreed at the 17 November 2022 Emmet County Board of Commissioners’ meeting.
Per a conversation with county administrator Dave Boyer:
The county has been working on this agreement for several months… no publicity while making arrangements and negotiations.
The agreement states the county will work with Enbridge and the Emmet County Road Commission for road closures connected to the new property transfers. The Wawatum Township supervisor has stated, however, that those roads are “local roads” so the township will make closure decisions, not the road commission; and the township likely would allow the closure because the township would not want maintenance responsibility for those roads.
The Sidock Group prepared estimates for the contracted three future parking lots [beach front lot, McGulpin Point Lighthouse lot, Headlands lot] designs, but the county still will abide by the “three-bid” policy for parking lot construction. The parking lot plans so far are preliminary and for monetary thinking purposes. The Headlands will gain additional parking which has been needed forever. The new McGulpin Point parking will be enlarged, asphalted, and have room for bus sized vehicles. Within the McGulpin Point's "new acquired lot property", is a house which has a two apartment arrangement. This older house could be used to rent, or for enticement for hiring county park staff like the present house at Camp Petosega. This McGulpin Point lot will have an easement for Enbridge having their pipe running under the lot… and will be considered in the design. For the 008 property on the waterfront by McGulpin Point Lighthouse, all of the new additional 110 feet will add “gravel” parking for the county. Also, the county does not need access from David Drive, so it is not known if David Drive eventually will be closed. The extra land will make a better turn-around area and add parking spaces. The beach is vacant… no buildings. This agreement will keep the existing beach property the way it has been, and still have access to the beach.
It is likely Enbridge will use its new acquired county properties for tunnel construction purposes; hoping the new county land accesses will keep public away from Enbridge haul routes and thus keep the public safer.
Tri-State (Enbridge) agreed to pay $500,000 to the county at Closing. Also, the payment of $1 million in addition to the transfers of properties, will come in the form of a donation from Enbridge to Emmet County, but not until the very end of 2023.
Per a conversation with county administrator Dave Boyer:
The county has been working on this agreement for several months… no publicity while making arrangements and negotiations.
The agreement states the county will work with Enbridge and the Emmet County Road Commission for road closures connected to the new property transfers. The Wawatum Township supervisor has stated, however, that those roads are “local roads” so the township will make closure decisions, not the road commission; and the township likely would allow the closure because the township would not want maintenance responsibility for those roads.
The Sidock Group prepared estimates for the contracted three future parking lots [beach front lot, McGulpin Point Lighthouse lot, Headlands lot] designs, but the county still will abide by the “three-bid” policy for parking lot construction. The parking lot plans so far are preliminary and for monetary thinking purposes. The Headlands will gain additional parking which has been needed forever. The new McGulpin Point parking will be enlarged, asphalted, and have room for bus sized vehicles. Within the McGulpin Point's "new acquired lot property", is a house which has a two apartment arrangement. This older house could be used to rent, or for enticement for hiring county park staff like the present house at Camp Petosega. This McGulpin Point lot will have an easement for Enbridge having their pipe running under the lot… and will be considered in the design. For the 008 property on the waterfront by McGulpin Point Lighthouse, all of the new additional 110 feet will add “gravel” parking for the county. Also, the county does not need access from David Drive, so it is not known if David Drive eventually will be closed. The extra land will make a better turn-around area and add parking spaces. The beach is vacant… no buildings. This agreement will keep the existing beach property the way it has been, and still have access to the beach.
It is likely Enbridge will use its new acquired county properties for tunnel construction purposes; hoping the new county land accesses will keep public away from Enbridge haul routes and thus keep the public safer.
Tri-State (Enbridge) agreed to pay $500,000 to the county at Closing. Also, the payment of $1 million in addition to the transfers of properties, will come in the form of a donation from Enbridge to Emmet County, but not until the very end of 2023.
Below: 17 November 2022 Emmet County Board of Commissioners had a small discussion and then passed the resolution for the land property exchange between Emmet County and Triangle-State Holding, with one dissenting vote.
Click HERE to access the 6 December 2022 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting minutes which include the entire "Real Estate Exchange agreement between County of Emmet, Michigan, and Try-State Holdings (representing Enbridge interests). Park Director Bauman, also stated the following regarding the Headlands and McGulpin parking issue:
At the 16 March 2023 ECBOC meeting a motion was made to approve the contracts with Sidock Group, authorizing the County Administrator to sign the necessary documents on behalf of the Board of Commissioners. The motion did not take heed of Commissioner Drier's concern in November 2022 that the ECBOC Chairman have a direct relation to this project. Whereas Administrator Boyer assured that any project or work to be done must have board approval.
Both items below were on the agenda for the 11 December 2023 as a section of the
Proposed Budget Amendment by the Emmet County Board of Commissioners.
Proposed Budget Amendment by the Emmet County Board of Commissioners.
Click HERE to access the 23 March 2023 UpNorthLive TV 7 & 4 environmental writer John Flesher AP article:
"Army Corps Further Delays Decision on Line 5".
Flesher's article stated that "A federal review of plans for a Great Lakes oil pipeline tunnel will take more than a year longer than originally planned, officials said Thursday, likely delaying completion of the project – if approved – until 2030 or later." The federal permitting process for the Great Lakes Tunnel Project would push the start of construction to 2026. The Army Corps of Engineers Detroit district office had received more than 17,000 public comments, so the Corps ordered Enbridge to REDO wetland measurements of wetlands that could be damaged from roads and structures for tunnel constructions. This is a very real concern by the Corps considering the 8 July 2021 Emmet County Road Commission minutes posted farther above had stated that Enbridge wanted to work with the ECRC beginning in 2022 to get permits for a route plan. Enbridge planned to haul a minimum of 50 loads of stone each day for two or more years, on an all-season route.
Possible pipeline rupture of Line 5 must consider the dual pipelines move about 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, each day. Enbridge contends the two pipes, nearly 70 years old, are in good condition and monitored regularly. Although Michigan's governor Whitmer's Department of Environmental, Great Lakes and Energy granted Enbridge a permit, much opposition is voiced. The Bay Mills Indian Community is especially vocal against the Line 5 spanning the straits, and any construction which would harm "sensitive wetlands, rare plants and cultural artifacts," feeling that Enbridge undercounted wetlands that would be affected.
Mike Fernandez, a senior vice president of the Canadian company base in Calgary, Alberta, said that "impeding the tunnel project will only lengthen the time that oil flows through the straits pipes. The company has rejected Whitmer's order to shut down Line 5. Two lawsuits over its future are ongoing." This simultaneous stated concept by Enbridge of supposed concern for the environment, somehow seem to be conflicting, with not shutting down Line 5 without another concrete option; whether rerouted over land, or the proposed (and opposed) tunnel.
Possible pipeline rupture of Line 5 must consider the dual pipelines move about 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, each day. Enbridge contends the two pipes, nearly 70 years old, are in good condition and monitored regularly. Although Michigan's governor Whitmer's Department of Environmental, Great Lakes and Energy granted Enbridge a permit, much opposition is voiced. The Bay Mills Indian Community is especially vocal against the Line 5 spanning the straits, and any construction which would harm "sensitive wetlands, rare plants and cultural artifacts," feeling that Enbridge undercounted wetlands that would be affected.
Mike Fernandez, a senior vice president of the Canadian company base in Calgary, Alberta, said that "impeding the tunnel project will only lengthen the time that oil flows through the straits pipes. The company has rejected Whitmer's order to shut down Line 5. Two lawsuits over its future are ongoing." This simultaneous stated concept by Enbridge of supposed concern for the environment, somehow seem to be conflicting, with not shutting down Line 5 without another concrete option; whether rerouted over land, or the proposed (and opposed) tunnel.
The 5 April 2023 Petoskey News Review reported, " The future of Enbridge's Line 5 remains unclear as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently pushed the permitting timeline to spring 2025... The issue of which court holds jurisdiction over the lawsuit is a crucial detail in the legal battle because legal scholars have said a Michigan state court is more likely to rule in favor of Nessel [Michigan Attorney General]. In contrast, Enbridge would be more likely to prevail in federal court. No decisions have been reached at this time."
UpNorthLive on 5 April 2023 reported: "Tribal reps send report to UN opposing Canada's support for Line 5".
"Several representatives of Indigenous communities have submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council urging the Canadian Government to withdraw its support for Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac.
The report has been submitted for consideration under Canada's fourth Universal Periodic Review, in which Canada's human rights record will be reviewed and scrutinized by other U.N. member States."
"Several representatives of Indigenous communities have submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council urging the Canadian Government to withdraw its support for Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac.
The report has been submitted for consideration under Canada's fourth Universal Periodic Review, in which Canada's human rights record will be reviewed and scrutinized by other U.N. member States."
Annie Doyle for the 7 July 2023 Petoskey News Review AND Michael Livingstone for 29 June 2023 Interlochen Public Radio reported about the happenings of 22 June 2022 at the North Central Michigan College regular Luncheon Lecture Series which brings in professionals from different fields to discuss their work.
Charlie Macinnis, organizer for the series for NCMC, had invited Enbridge Community Engagement Manager Paul Meneghini to present on the Enbridge planned Great Lakes Tunnel Project beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
A scuffle began when Anishinaabek and Water Protection Advocate protesters, of Enbridge’s Line 5, without paying an entry fee, or securing proper clearance, entered the lecture area and tried to unfurl a banner reading “Enbridge Out! No Line 5”.
Macinnis stated, ““There was no opportunity to ask them to leave, they burst in and started yelling, they were not civil, they were not appropriate. They did not act in a way that would suggest that civil discourse was their goal.”
NCMC President David Finley and Charlie Macinnis were accused of leading actions that “escalated into a physical altercation." College faculty and others are requesting an investigation into questionable actions. The Petoskey Department of Public Safety is working with the college, although the department did not arrive until after events.
The college does maintain a designated space supporting peaceful protests and demonstrations, and does not try to squash First Amendment Rights, but that possibility was not sought by the protestors.
Over the years environmental advocates have called for the pipeline to be shut down over concerns that an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be ecologically and economically devastating. Enbridge, in the last few years, has proposed a tunnel to hold Line 5 as it runs under the Straits, and that also has been meeting with resistance.
Charlie Macinnis, organizer for the series for NCMC, had invited Enbridge Community Engagement Manager Paul Meneghini to present on the Enbridge planned Great Lakes Tunnel Project beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
A scuffle began when Anishinaabek and Water Protection Advocate protesters, of Enbridge’s Line 5, without paying an entry fee, or securing proper clearance, entered the lecture area and tried to unfurl a banner reading “Enbridge Out! No Line 5”.
Macinnis stated, ““There was no opportunity to ask them to leave, they burst in and started yelling, they were not civil, they were not appropriate. They did not act in a way that would suggest that civil discourse was their goal.”
NCMC President David Finley and Charlie Macinnis were accused of leading actions that “escalated into a physical altercation." College faculty and others are requesting an investigation into questionable actions. The Petoskey Department of Public Safety is working with the college, although the department did not arrive until after events.
The college does maintain a designated space supporting peaceful protests and demonstrations, and does not try to squash First Amendment Rights, but that possibility was not sought by the protestors.
Over the years environmental advocates have called for the pipeline to be shut down over concerns that an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be ecologically and economically devastating. Enbridge, in the last few years, has proposed a tunnel to hold Line 5 as it runs under the Straits, and that also has been meeting with resistance.
During a scheduled meeting to investigate the above happening, videos were placed on line of the three minute comments by both Charlie Macinnis and Fred Harrington.
Click HERE to hear Charlie Macinnis speak.
Click HERE to hear Fred Harrington speak.
Click HERE to access a Petoskey News Review report about the 14 July 2023 meeting about an investigation into the above noted altercation that took place 22 June 2023.
Click HERE to hear Charlie Macinnis speak.
Click HERE to hear Fred Harrington speak.
Click HERE to access a Petoskey News Review report about the 14 July 2023 meeting about an investigation into the above noted altercation that took place 22 June 2023.
"LIne 5 Tunnel Plan Gets Approval"
Announced in the 5 December 2023 Petoskey News Review
Announced in the 5 December 2023 Petoskey News Review
“Built in 1953, Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 Spans 645 miles from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. The line transports light crude oil and natural gas liquids. Four miles of the pipeline–consisting of two, 20-inch pipelines–crosses through the Straits of Mackinac.” During a Michigan Public Service Commission meeting, the commission determined a public need exists for replacing the section of Line 5 running through the Straits because alternative means of transportation would be both risker and more expensive. The three appointed commissioners regulate the state's energy utilities. With two commissioners approving and one abstaining, the commission also concluded the tunnel would be a “significant improvement over the existing dual pipeline configuration, virtually eliminating the risk of anchor strikes, in addition to the replacement segment being housed in a tunnel that can serve as a secondary containment vessel that would contain a leak if one developed.”
Several more environmental groups continue to oppose Line 5 traversing the straits in any form, along with the Tribal Nations which stated, “We must act now to protect the peoples of the Great Lakes from an oil spill, to lead our communities out of the fossil fuel era, and to preserve the shared lands and waters in MIchigan for all of us.”
Business and labor groups approve the decision thinking the tunnel project will create jobs. Labor unions are counting on the tunnel proceeding. Other supporters point out that Enbridge pays about $65 million in annual property taxes. The rather quiet 2023 selling/trading of Emmet County land to Enbridge (subsidiary Tri-State Holdings) has escaped press coverage. That sale and trade of lands right at the point of the Straits entry proposed by Enbridge had several land and millions in monetary gains for the county; also the Mackinaw Schools are very dependent to about 15%, or more, of its school budget, on the taxes from Enbridge toward the school millage. In 1969 (article farther above on this web page) Mackinaw City extended its taxable land limits by extending their corporation limits two miles out into Straits of Mackinac which expanded the taxing jurisdiction, especially for Enbridge. Enbridge alone pumped $7,132,646 million in taxable value into all of Emmet County in 2014. That year Enbridge was the third highest taxpayer in Emmet County after Bear Creek Station LLC (Shopping Center) and Bay View Association; although Bay View Association since 2014 has won a law suit appealing its taxable value to the State Tax Tribunal.
Enbridge subsidiary Tri-State Holdings in recent years has purchased other multiple parcels in Wawatum Township, paying over a million dollars purchase prices which was more than Wawatum Townships' records showed; more than the actual market value of the land. The parcels were crucial for ease of Enbridge's tunnel plans to progress. ~ reported by on-line Bridge 4 March 2020 article titled "As Michigan battle rages on Line 5, Enbridge quietly buys land for tunnel" which may be accessed by clicking HERE. In this 2020 Bridge article the Wawatum Township supervisor Moore stated "Enbridge township property–excluding the Tri-State Holdings purchases–is tentatively taxed at about $26 million. That includes its pumping station, the value of its underground pipes and equipment in the township, and its pipelines halfway across the straits."
Enbridge, however, still does need approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer on its permit application to locate a replacement section of Line 5 into the tunnel. The Corps has begun an environmental impact study of the proposal which is not expected until 2025. Enbridge also continues a fight against the lawsuits–by Michigan Attorney General Nessel, and another in Wisconsin. So, the fight continues.
Several more environmental groups continue to oppose Line 5 traversing the straits in any form, along with the Tribal Nations which stated, “We must act now to protect the peoples of the Great Lakes from an oil spill, to lead our communities out of the fossil fuel era, and to preserve the shared lands and waters in MIchigan for all of us.”
Business and labor groups approve the decision thinking the tunnel project will create jobs. Labor unions are counting on the tunnel proceeding. Other supporters point out that Enbridge pays about $65 million in annual property taxes. The rather quiet 2023 selling/trading of Emmet County land to Enbridge (subsidiary Tri-State Holdings) has escaped press coverage. That sale and trade of lands right at the point of the Straits entry proposed by Enbridge had several land and millions in monetary gains for the county; also the Mackinaw Schools are very dependent to about 15%, or more, of its school budget, on the taxes from Enbridge toward the school millage. In 1969 (article farther above on this web page) Mackinaw City extended its taxable land limits by extending their corporation limits two miles out into Straits of Mackinac which expanded the taxing jurisdiction, especially for Enbridge. Enbridge alone pumped $7,132,646 million in taxable value into all of Emmet County in 2014. That year Enbridge was the third highest taxpayer in Emmet County after Bear Creek Station LLC (Shopping Center) and Bay View Association; although Bay View Association since 2014 has won a law suit appealing its taxable value to the State Tax Tribunal.
Enbridge subsidiary Tri-State Holdings in recent years has purchased other multiple parcels in Wawatum Township, paying over a million dollars purchase prices which was more than Wawatum Townships' records showed; more than the actual market value of the land. The parcels were crucial for ease of Enbridge's tunnel plans to progress. ~ reported by on-line Bridge 4 March 2020 article titled "As Michigan battle rages on Line 5, Enbridge quietly buys land for tunnel" which may be accessed by clicking HERE. In this 2020 Bridge article the Wawatum Township supervisor Moore stated "Enbridge township property–excluding the Tri-State Holdings purchases–is tentatively taxed at about $26 million. That includes its pumping station, the value of its underground pipes and equipment in the township, and its pipelines halfway across the straits."
Enbridge, however, still does need approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer on its permit application to locate a replacement section of Line 5 into the tunnel. The Corps has begun an environmental impact study of the proposal which is not expected until 2025. Enbridge also continues a fight against the lawsuits–by Michigan Attorney General Nessel, and another in Wisconsin. So, the fight continues.
~Consumers Power Lines ~
Underground Cable To Cross the Straits of Mackinac
1960
Underground Cable To Cross the Straits of Mackinac
1960
Alaska Pipeline
being built at the same time the ENERGY CRISIS was hitting Emmet County...
1973
~ Petoskeyite Converts Solar Energy ~
1975
1975
~ Emmet County Recycling ~
Premier Program!
Premier Program!
~ Gas Station Tanks Removed ~
(US 31 and US 131 Intersection area)
1989
(US 31 and US 131 Intersection area)
1989
|
~ Petoskey City Dump Capped ~
(Howard Road)
1990
(Howard Road)
1990
1992
To see Paul Harvey on "Global Warming" click HERE.
To see Paul Harvey on "Global Warming" click HERE.
The 1 May 2021 Petoskey News Review announced:
"Watershed Council Director to Retire After Nearly 40 Years."
"Watershed Council Director to Retire After Nearly 40 Years."
Gail Gruenwald, Executive director at Top of the Mitt Watershed Council, will retire at the end of 2021. Gail joined the council in 1984, becoming the executive director in 1987. She directed the goals of the council's advocacy in water monitoring, restoration projects, and educational outreach. The Watershed Council, in 2021, has a membership of 2,245 supporters, a crew of volunteer monitors, and an active board and staff.
A 26 January 2022 Petoskey News Review article gave a forewarning to the county, state, and federal taxpayers... "Issues on the Menu: Public Transit, Broadband in Infrastructure Bill Allocations." Issues that Emmet County communities have been clamoring about like public transportation, water contamination, broadband internet access and deteriorating roads and bike paths, may likely find funding this year through the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" which will give access to BILLIONS of dollars for the state of Michigan to spread around the counties, through the Michigan Department of Transportation, the departments rural task force, and local metropolitan planning organizations. The money can go toward local governments, as well as local tribal government. Recurring polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) remediation that has been transpiring at the Pellston Reginal Airport will demand attention receiving many dollars; billions for the state. The state will receive another $4 billion for the "Drinking Water State Revolving Fund" open to both private and community water systems. The bill also includes $1 billion toward the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The 4 February 2022 Petoskey News Review reported:
"Senate group calling on White House to prioritize funding for PFAS mitigation in budget."
"Senate group calling on White House to prioritize funding for PFAS mitigation in budget."
As recent as March of 2022 Nuclear Energy the closeness of Big Rock Nuclear Plant waste still rests near Bay Shore. A history and recent reports of nuclear waste concerns at Big Rock Nuclear Plant area can be accessed on this same web site on the Bay Shore web page, by clicking HERE.
The 24 May 2022 Petoskey News Review reported that the Emmet County Recycling had noted that a recycling bin on Pleasantview Road had caught fire because of a battery placed in the bin improperly. This is the second fire in less than a year, and those fires will become more common as the country recently is being directed toward batteries. The batteries are not being disposed properly. It is important to recycle batters because they have really valuable materials in them like rare earth metals, which are a richer source for them that than can be found in nature.
"GOING GREEN AND SEEING GREEN"
ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW
(Presented by Russell Haynes on Facebook)
ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW
(Presented by Russell Haynes on Facebook)
"What is a battery? Or The Embedded Costs of Going Green.
What is a battery?' I think Tesla said it best when they called it an Energy Storage System. That's important.
They do not make electricity – they store electricity produced elsewhere, primarily by coal, uranium, natural gas-powered plants, or diesel-fueled generators. So, to say an EV is a zero-emission vehicle is not at all valid.
Also, since forty percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is from coal-fired plants, it follows that forty percent of the EVs on the road are coal-powered.
Einstein's formula, E=MC2, tells us it takes the same amount of energy to move a five-thousand-pound gasoline-driven automobile a mile as it does an electric one. The only question again is what produces the power? To reiterate, it does not come from the battery; the battery is only the storage device, like a gas tank in a car.
There are two orders of batteries, rechargeable, and single-use. The most common single-use batteries are A, AA, AAA, C, D. 9V, and lantern types. Those dry-cell species use zinc, manganese, lithium, silver oxide, or zinc and carbon to store electricity chemically. Please note they all contain toxic, heavy metals.
Rechargeable batteries only differ in their internal materials, usually lithium-ion, nickel-metal oxide, and nickel-cadmium. The United States uses three billion of these two battery types a year, and most are not recycled; they end up in landfills. California is the only state which requires all batteries be recycled. If you throw your small, used batteries in the trash, here is what happens to them.
All batteries are self-discharging. That means even when not in use, they leak tiny amounts of energy. You have likely ruined a flashlight or two from an old, ruptured battery. When a battery runs down and can no longer power a toy or light, you think of it as dead; well, it is not. It continues to leak small amounts of electricity. As the chemicals inside it run out, pressure builds inside the battery's metal casing, and eventually, it cracks. The metals left inside then ooze out. The ooze in your ruined flashlight is toxic, and so is the ooze that will inevitably leak from every battery in a landfill. All batteries eventually rupture; it just takes rechargeable batteries longer to end up in the landfill.
In addition to dry cell batteries, also wet cell ones are used in automobiles, boats, and motorcycles. The good thing about those is, ninety percent of them are recycled. Unfortunately, we do not yet know how to recycle single-use ones properly.
But that is not half of it. For those of you excited about electric cars and a green revolution, I just take a closer look at batteries and also windmills and solar panels. These three technologies share what is called environmentally destructive embedded costs.
Everything manufactured has two costs associated with it, embedded costs and operating costs. I will explain embedded costs using a can of baked beans as my subject. In this scenario, baked beans are on sale, so you jump in your car and head for the grocery store. Sure enough, they are on the shelf for $1.75 a can. As you head to the checkout, you begin to think about the embedded costs in the can of beans. The first cost is the diesel fuel the farmer used to plow the field, till the ground, harvest the beans, and transport them to the food processor. Not only is his diesel fuel an embedded cost, so are the costs to build the tractors, combines, and trucks. In addition, the farmer might use a nitrogen fertilizer made from natural gas. Next is the energy costs of cooking the beans, heating the building, transporting the workers, and paying for the vast amounts of electricity used to run the plant. The steel can holding the beans is also an embedded cost. Making the steel can requires mining taconite, shipping it by boat, extracting the iron, placing it in a coal-fired blast furnace, and adding carbon. Then it's back on another truck to take the beans to the grocery store. Finally, add in the cost of the gasoline for your car.
A typical EV battery weighs one thousand pounds, about the size of a travel trunk. It contains twenty-five pounds of lithium, sixty pounds of nickel, 44 pounds of manganese, 30 pounds cobalt, 200 pounds of copper, and 400 pounds of aluminum, steel, and plastic. Inside are over 6,000 individual lithium-ion cells. It should concern you that all those toxic components come from mining. For instance, to manufacture each EV auto battery, you must process 25,000 pounds of brine for the lithium, 30,000 pounds of ore for the cobalt, 5,000 pounds of ore for the nickel, and 25,000 pounds of ore for copper. All told, you dig up 500,000 pounds of the earth's crust for just one battery."
Sixty-eight percent of the world's cobalt, a significant part of a battery, comes from the Congo. Their mines have no pollution controls, and they employ children who die from handling this toxic material. Should we factor in these diseased kids as part of the cost of driving an electric car?"
You should be left with these thoughts. California is building the largest battery in the world near San Francisco, and they intend to power it from solar panels and windmills. They claim this is the ultimate in being 'green,' but it is not! This construction project is creating an environmental disaster. Let me tell you why.
The main problem with solar arrays is the chemicals needed to process silicate into the silicon used in the panels. To make pure enough silicon requires processing it with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, trichloroethane, and acetone. In addition, they also need gallium, arsenide, copper-indium-gallium- Di selenide, and cadmium-telluride, which also are highly toxic. Silicone dust is a hazard to the workers, and the panels cannot be recycled.
Windmills are the ultimate in embedded costs and environmental destruction. Each weighs 1688 tons (the equivalent of 23 houses) and contains 1300 tons of concrete, 295 tons of steel, 48 tons of iron, 24 tons of fiberglass, and the hard to extract rare earths neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. Each blade weighs 81,000 pounds and will last 15 to 20 years, at which time it must be replaced. Each windmill requires many gallons of oil for lubrication that may need replacing from time to time. We cannot recycle used blades. Sadly, both solar arrays and windmills kill birds, bats, sea life, and migratory insects.
There may be a place for these technologies, but you must look beyond the myth of zero emissions. I predict EVs and windmills will be abandoned once the embedded environmental costs of making and replacing them become apparent. "Going Green" may sound like the Utopian ideal and are easily espoused, catchy buzzwords, but when you look at the hidden and embedded costs realistically with an open mind, you can see that Going Green is more destructive to the Earth's environment than meets the eye, for sure."
What is a battery?' I think Tesla said it best when they called it an Energy Storage System. That's important.
They do not make electricity – they store electricity produced elsewhere, primarily by coal, uranium, natural gas-powered plants, or diesel-fueled generators. So, to say an EV is a zero-emission vehicle is not at all valid.
Also, since forty percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is from coal-fired plants, it follows that forty percent of the EVs on the road are coal-powered.
Einstein's formula, E=MC2, tells us it takes the same amount of energy to move a five-thousand-pound gasoline-driven automobile a mile as it does an electric one. The only question again is what produces the power? To reiterate, it does not come from the battery; the battery is only the storage device, like a gas tank in a car.
There are two orders of batteries, rechargeable, and single-use. The most common single-use batteries are A, AA, AAA, C, D. 9V, and lantern types. Those dry-cell species use zinc, manganese, lithium, silver oxide, or zinc and carbon to store electricity chemically. Please note they all contain toxic, heavy metals.
Rechargeable batteries only differ in their internal materials, usually lithium-ion, nickel-metal oxide, and nickel-cadmium. The United States uses three billion of these two battery types a year, and most are not recycled; they end up in landfills. California is the only state which requires all batteries be recycled. If you throw your small, used batteries in the trash, here is what happens to them.
All batteries are self-discharging. That means even when not in use, they leak tiny amounts of energy. You have likely ruined a flashlight or two from an old, ruptured battery. When a battery runs down and can no longer power a toy or light, you think of it as dead; well, it is not. It continues to leak small amounts of electricity. As the chemicals inside it run out, pressure builds inside the battery's metal casing, and eventually, it cracks. The metals left inside then ooze out. The ooze in your ruined flashlight is toxic, and so is the ooze that will inevitably leak from every battery in a landfill. All batteries eventually rupture; it just takes rechargeable batteries longer to end up in the landfill.
In addition to dry cell batteries, also wet cell ones are used in automobiles, boats, and motorcycles. The good thing about those is, ninety percent of them are recycled. Unfortunately, we do not yet know how to recycle single-use ones properly.
But that is not half of it. For those of you excited about electric cars and a green revolution, I just take a closer look at batteries and also windmills and solar panels. These three technologies share what is called environmentally destructive embedded costs.
Everything manufactured has two costs associated with it, embedded costs and operating costs. I will explain embedded costs using a can of baked beans as my subject. In this scenario, baked beans are on sale, so you jump in your car and head for the grocery store. Sure enough, they are on the shelf for $1.75 a can. As you head to the checkout, you begin to think about the embedded costs in the can of beans. The first cost is the diesel fuel the farmer used to plow the field, till the ground, harvest the beans, and transport them to the food processor. Not only is his diesel fuel an embedded cost, so are the costs to build the tractors, combines, and trucks. In addition, the farmer might use a nitrogen fertilizer made from natural gas. Next is the energy costs of cooking the beans, heating the building, transporting the workers, and paying for the vast amounts of electricity used to run the plant. The steel can holding the beans is also an embedded cost. Making the steel can requires mining taconite, shipping it by boat, extracting the iron, placing it in a coal-fired blast furnace, and adding carbon. Then it's back on another truck to take the beans to the grocery store. Finally, add in the cost of the gasoline for your car.
A typical EV battery weighs one thousand pounds, about the size of a travel trunk. It contains twenty-five pounds of lithium, sixty pounds of nickel, 44 pounds of manganese, 30 pounds cobalt, 200 pounds of copper, and 400 pounds of aluminum, steel, and plastic. Inside are over 6,000 individual lithium-ion cells. It should concern you that all those toxic components come from mining. For instance, to manufacture each EV auto battery, you must process 25,000 pounds of brine for the lithium, 30,000 pounds of ore for the cobalt, 5,000 pounds of ore for the nickel, and 25,000 pounds of ore for copper. All told, you dig up 500,000 pounds of the earth's crust for just one battery."
Sixty-eight percent of the world's cobalt, a significant part of a battery, comes from the Congo. Their mines have no pollution controls, and they employ children who die from handling this toxic material. Should we factor in these diseased kids as part of the cost of driving an electric car?"
You should be left with these thoughts. California is building the largest battery in the world near San Francisco, and they intend to power it from solar panels and windmills. They claim this is the ultimate in being 'green,' but it is not! This construction project is creating an environmental disaster. Let me tell you why.
The main problem with solar arrays is the chemicals needed to process silicate into the silicon used in the panels. To make pure enough silicon requires processing it with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, trichloroethane, and acetone. In addition, they also need gallium, arsenide, copper-indium-gallium- Di selenide, and cadmium-telluride, which also are highly toxic. Silicone dust is a hazard to the workers, and the panels cannot be recycled.
Windmills are the ultimate in embedded costs and environmental destruction. Each weighs 1688 tons (the equivalent of 23 houses) and contains 1300 tons of concrete, 295 tons of steel, 48 tons of iron, 24 tons of fiberglass, and the hard to extract rare earths neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. Each blade weighs 81,000 pounds and will last 15 to 20 years, at which time it must be replaced. Each windmill requires many gallons of oil for lubrication that may need replacing from time to time. We cannot recycle used blades. Sadly, both solar arrays and windmills kill birds, bats, sea life, and migratory insects.
There may be a place for these technologies, but you must look beyond the myth of zero emissions. I predict EVs and windmills will be abandoned once the embedded environmental costs of making and replacing them become apparent. "Going Green" may sound like the Utopian ideal and are easily espoused, catchy buzzwords, but when you look at the hidden and embedded costs realistically with an open mind, you can see that Going Green is more destructive to the Earth's environment than meets the eye, for sure."
The Petoskey News Review 2 July 2022 issue reported: "EPA set to seek public comment on cleanup plan Former Petoskey Manufacturing Co. location is superfund site". Click HERE to access additional information on this same web site about the history of this proposed EPA project for this site.
The Petoskey News Review 8 September 2022 issue reported: "Corps of Engineers schedules Enbridge Line 5 EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] public meetings." Comments should "help identify areas for in-depth review, including historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects and other public interest factors." Enbridge Energy "is proposing to construct a tunnel under the bed of the Straits of Mackinac between Point LaBarbe in St. Ignace and McGulpin Point in Mackinaw City. The tunnel would house a new 30-inch pipeline for light crude oil and liquid natural gas, replacing the existing dual submerged pipelines crossing the Straits of Mackinac, which have been in operation since 1953."
The 6 December 2023 Petoskey News Review's headline announced “Petoskey council moves forward with solar project”. Petoskey is working with Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA) and solar developer SolAmerica Energy LLC on the project, powered by USDA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, available to municipal electric providers serving 20,000 or less.
The solar project will used the closed landfill property near Howard and River roads in Bear Creek Township. An article is posted above on this same web page about capping the old dump in 1990. The solar project would begin in the 3.0 MW range and will connect directly to Petoskey’ distribution system, going into the city’s electric grid. The city’s goal is to reach 100% renewable energy use by 2035.
SolAmerica's applications for a partially-forgivable loan to various entities yet must be made, and attained. If successful, SolAmerica would own, operate and maintain the solar facility and sell and deliver the electricity produced to the city at a below market rate.
The council approved the resolution to authorize City Manager Horn and other city staff to enter into agreements associated with the installation of the solar array.
The solar project will used the closed landfill property near Howard and River roads in Bear Creek Township. An article is posted above on this same web page about capping the old dump in 1990. The solar project would begin in the 3.0 MW range and will connect directly to Petoskey’ distribution system, going into the city’s electric grid. The city’s goal is to reach 100% renewable energy use by 2035.
SolAmerica's applications for a partially-forgivable loan to various entities yet must be made, and attained. If successful, SolAmerica would own, operate and maintain the solar facility and sell and deliver the electricity produced to the city at a below market rate.
The council approved the resolution to authorize City Manager Horn and other city staff to enter into agreements associated with the installation of the solar array.
"Kathy Bricker's environmental legacy lives on in new preserve."
The Cheboygan Daily Tribune article by Jillian Fellows, and published in the 4 October 2022 Petoskey News Review commemorated Kathy Bricker's life (passed 19 March 2022) which was one of dedication to the environment, later becoming. For years Kathy Bricker and her husband Jim lived at the end of Channel Road in rural Petoskey, Michigan... the perfect setting for the Bricker's. Later they settled in Cheboygan, Michigan. Her noted accomplishments included: 1) Advocation for the successful establishment of Michigan's bottle deposit law 2) She was FIRST executive director of the Little Traverse Conservancy 3) Kathy mobilized a grassroots effort to successfully protect 750 acres of Emmet County's Sturgeon Bay Dunes from sand mining (now part of Wilderness State Park) 4) She created Earth-Week Plus programs to bring awareness to various environment issues 5) presented educational programs about "Snakes Alive" 6) Worked in Washington D.C. as head of major donor fundraising at the Ocean Conservancy 7) Formed and led the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch group. Kathy earned the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council's top award AND the Clarence Krupa Lifetime Achievement Award for Environmental and Nature Conservation. NOW, a new Little Traverse Conservancy nature preserve will also bear her name... Duck Bay will be named "The Kathy Bricker Nature Lover Preserve" one of the conservancy's largest nature preserves, accessible only by water. Conservancy officials, along with Kathy's husband Jim, will install an official sign and bury some of Bricker's ashes at the new conservancy.