Tomorrow is the Last Day To Comment against the Alberta Clipper Tar Sands Pipeline Expansion

Tomorrow, April 14th, is the last day to have your say on  Enbridge's proposal to expand its pipeline, which carries tar sands crude from Alberta. Per an info sheet from MN350, Tar sands oil is the dirtiest form of oil on this planet. Its exploitation results in up to 37% more CO2 emissions than with normal crude oil. "Climate scientists warn that full development of tar sands oil will be "game over" for the climate."  That sounds pretty severe.

Enbridge wants to increase today's flow through the Alberta Clipper (Line 67) pipeline by another 350,000 barrels per day.  That's an increase of over 5 billion gallons per year!

You can submit your comments by email to: RouteComments.OAH@state.mn.us.  Include both the PUC Docket Number (PL-0/CN-13-153) and the OAH Docket Number (8-2500-30952) in the e0mail subject line.  The PUC has invited public comments on these criteria:

* Is the proposed project needed and in the public interest?
* What are the costs and benefits of the proposed project?
* Are there other project-related issues or concerns?


The concern is that not only will the use of these tar sands cause a horrible increase in our carbon use, but also that we don't even need this crude oil at this time.  Our Minnesota refineries already have enough crude and are exporting many of their finished products to other states.  Our domestic use of crude oil refined products is decreasing (by 5%, 4% and 7% since 2008 in the U.S., the region and Minnesota respectively.). and the Enbridge pipelines are not fully utilized at present.  They are also replacing their damaged Line 3 in Minnesota and increasing its size so that it will have about 870,000 barrels per day in excess capacity.

Other points against the Alberta Clipper project are that domestic oil is booming and Enbridge has announced plans to increase its use of domestic rather than crude oil at two of its refineries.  Also, if the Keystone project is approved, all of the available Canadian tar sands oil will go on their line.  Something to do with Take or Pay contracts.

OK, so my preference is to just leave that crude oil in the ground until some time in the future when we are actually desperate for it because we've used up other oil sources.  Why send our climate over the tipping point just so that Enbridge can export oil we don't even need right now?

Here's a link to more information:  Say No To Alberta Clipper

Send a comment and tell the PUC it's a bad idea.

And then, if you want to make a big push to keep Keystone from being approved too, you can always hop on the bus and join the demonstration in Washington with the Cowboy Indian Aliance of farmers the end of this month.  Join the MN350 on a whirlwind bus trip action against Keystone pipeline to D.C. on April 25th.  Only $159 for the bus ride and ought to be a pretty interesting experience. (I'm not doing that one, but you might want to.)

Sometimes saving our planet is about day to day lifestyle changes.  Other times it's about taking public action to change the way the big guys use our resources.  Today's about that.  Take 10 minutes - or less - and send your comments on this issue.  Thanks.