I am hoping to protect our Great Lakes from a tragic environmental disaster . When Enbridge oil crossed our Great Lakes 67 years ago they were transporting regular crude that floats. Tar sands oil sinks. The largest fresh body of water in the world needs to be protected from transport of tar sands. I am requesting a full environmental study and the halt of transport under this body of water that supplies fresh water to over 40,000,000 people . A spill into our Great Lakes would prove fatal! On July 26th 2010 the largest inland oil spill in our country was from Enbridge oil company into the Kalamazoo River just a 1/2 mile from where I live. Line 6b is apart of a large pipeline that extends from Alberta Canada. When it ruptured sending over 1,000,000 gallons of tar sands 26 miles down the Kalamazoo River into Marrow lake it changed everything I never knew about oil companies Enbridge knew of over 250 sites needing repair on the pipeline that criss crosses many waterways in Michigan and had just asked for another extension when the pipe ruptured. Enbridge attempted to cover up the oil (see on u tube Jon Bolenbaugh videos Kalamazoo River oil spill and cover-up) It has been 3 1/2 years and 1 billion dollars and they still have not recaptured all the tar sands from the river bottom. The current pipeline that goes under the Straights of Mackinac should of been replaced 34years ago. This aging pipe that lays under the largest fresh body of water in the world, our Great Lakes, was granted permission to transport regular crude. Tar sands oil is much different than regular oil Enbridge has already proved they cannot clean a tar sands oil spill once it has entered the waterway. I believe there needs to be an halt to the transport of tar sand oil under the Great Lakes. Enbridge oil company needs to find another route for this tars sands oil!

What are your priorities? Stop private profiteers from commercializing our clean drinking water reservoirs. Stop rewarding those linked to blatant dumping and disregard environmental law with Marina permits. Take private corporate marinas and gasoline storage out of our, by deed, no-commercial neighborhoods and off of our central Texas drinking water reservoirs where they do not belong. PROTECT WATERS OF THE USA. Do not let ALEC right-wing superPAC, in their Jan. 2016 resolution to Congress, undermine the EPA, Clean Water ACT and Army Corps of Engineers on a state by state basis in order to deregulate water protections! Water knows no boundary. Protect ALL waters of the USA under the ground and above the ground Federally as CLEAN WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT! Please, protect the legacy we leave our children and protect all waters of the USA because clean water is a human right!

The properties of Massillon, Ohio resident and Viet Nam veteran Jim Huebner and 14 of his neighbors were mandatory pooled into a drilling unit in November, 2013. Everflow Eastern Partners, LLC requested a pooling order from the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s (ODNR) Technical Advisory Council (TAC). Everflow’s Leasing Manager, Les Dunics, told TAC that he had Massillon City property leased when in fact the city had not yet signed a lease for 8.10 acres of city-owned roadway within the drilling unit. The chief of the ODNR Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management approved the pooling order on December 10, 2013. On the same day Everflow was issued a permit to drill, though they did not have the necessary acreage under lease and had knowingly given false testimony to the TAC. The fact that TAC nor The Chief took the time to review the evidence provided illustrates the way in which the ODNR merely serves as a rubber stamp for the oil and gas industry to do as they please. To further demonstrate the way in which ODNR acts as a rubber stamp for oil and gas: by law (ORC 1509.38) the TAC must have eight members, six of which represent oil and gas producers, one to represent landowner royalty interest, and one member to represent the public. Effectively, seven of the eight council members represent the oil and gas industry. The public representative’s seat has not been filled for several years because the Governor of Ohio has not appointed anyone to that position. What the Stark Summit Coalition want to know is: Why didn’t the TAC or the Chief review Everflow’s leases before issuing the mandatory pooling order and permit? And why are the legal proceedings weighted so heavily in favor of oil and gas? Had the TAC and the Chief reviewed the leases, an order would have never been issued and neither would the permit. Had there been a balanced process and representation, evidence would likely be reviewed. Mr. Huebner had thirty days to file an appeal with the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission and he did. Since Everflow had the permit, they could technically drill if they wanted to. Mr. Huebner also had to file a request for a Stay of Execution of the Mandatory Pooling Order to attempt to prevent any drilling from occurring while he was going through the appeal process. As the primary basis of his appeal and request for a Stay of Execution, Mr. Huebner alleged that Everflow provided the TAC, and consequently the Chief, false information regarding their lease agreements with the City of Massillon, as Massillon’s City Council had not approved the lease agreement, and backed up the allegation with documentation. As a result, the Chief revoked the drilling permit and the pooling order. Mr. Huebner is still working on his Stay of Execution and appeal because Everflow Eastern now has 30 days to appeal the revocation order. MANDATORY POOLING HAS TO STOP: 1. A Mandatory Pooling Hearing takes place in front of a biased and pro-drilling panel; the TAC. This procedure is not consistent with due process rights and undermines the judicial practice that is meant to ensure justice in a free society. The Ohio and U.S. constitutions protect due process rights, which brings the constitutionality of this law into question. 2. Pooled person(s) do not have representation on the TAC when the request is made to pool. It is unjust to force a person into a drilling unit without fair and equal representation with independent, knowledgeable council members who have no ties to the oil and gas industry. 3. Being forced to surrender an asset violates a person’s right to form or decline a contract. 4. Current oil and gas law does little to protect Ohioans from impacts that emerge over a long period of time or affect their health in ways that are difficult to prove with the high standard of certainty required for legal proceedings. The law is unclear about the liability the mandatory pooled person(s) have in the event of an accident that occurs as a result of the presence of a drilling operation or well and the associated activities when they have been forced to participate. “Owners” of the well may be liable for future problems. Those currently forced into “ownership” should not be held liable for any damages that occur. Furthermore, the company should have to remediate damages incurred on the property fully and promptly.

Our pollinators are facing a bleak future without some intervention in present practices. They have lost both sanctuary areas and food sources as every acre of private land is now tilled and planted with commodity crops. The pesticides and herbicides used in modern farming are threatening that very industry as the numbers of pollinators have dropped drastically over the last few decades. I don't advocate legislation that takes away anyone's right to utilize their privately owned land as they see fit, but I believe that the state should not contribute to this coming calamity on ground it owns or controls. We have farmed for thousands of years without chemicals and close cutting vegetation in areas not used for crops, but we have never farmed without pollinators.

Bobcats do not need to be removed from the ecological circle as most hunters would argue. Their diet consists mainly of squirrels, rabbits, and other rodents, which helps control those populations. Humans and feral cats are the worst enemies our wildlife faces and we should continue to protect this species to prevent it from being added to the Illinois Threatened List again. By signing this petition you will let the House know that you oppose the approval of HB4226.

Decaying vegetation (biomass) puts many times more carbon dioxide into the air than all of human activity. If we adapt coal-fired power stations to pyrolyze (heat without oxygen) biomass, we can economically REDUCE the amount or carbon dioxide in the air (rather than merely slow down the increase). Also see: www.awesomelibrary.org/Climate_Change_Balance.html

Did you know that there might be over 20 fracking wells already operating in Illinois? Even though the IL Dept. of Natural Resources has not even published their final rules on fracking yet -- so much for the Frackers, the Governor and the IDNR playing by the rules here in Illinois! There has been a report of the 2nd well being approved by Gov Quinn in Clay County, and we have reports of up to 20 others already being drilled in White County. Gov. Quinn and many IL lawmakers are chomping at the bit to FRACK ILLINOIS! Please sign and pass this petition in support of the "Green Dozen" fracking bills in the IL General Assembly this spring.

There is no issue more profound or more basic than the food that we put into our bodies. While more research needs to be done on the full impact of GMOs, they are not without risks. For example, some GMOs are designed for increased pesticides, which have been linked to serious health and environmental impacts. Consumers have a right to know when GMOs are in their foods and to make purchasing choices for themselves. Eleven months ago, Whole Foods committed to labeling their store-brand products in response to consumer demand. GMO companies like Monsanto and their Big Ag allies have spent millions to defeat efforts to win labeling laws. However, Whole Foods has shown that if enough of their customers demand it, grocery stores will label their products. Kroger already offers Simple Truth, an organic store-brand, which labels if a product is GMO free. However, those who do not purchase the more expensive organic brand every time are left in the dark. With widespread customer support, we can get Kroger to label all of their store-brand products. People power is what will win this effort – please sign the petition, send it to other Kroger shoppers you may know, and get involved in the local movement.

Approval of Dow's herbicide-resistant corn and soybean seeds will drive a massive increase in use of the toxic and drift-prone 2,4-D herbicide, a main ingredient in "Agent Orange." This toxic chemical causes severe damage to vulnerable crops, drives farms out of business, harming rural families’ health, and contributing to even more herbicide-resistant superweeds.

Facebook, like Google and Exxon, is now funding ALEC's extremist attacks on our democracy and environment. ALEC is a right-wing legislation factory that pushes climate denial in public schools and helped spread the infamous "stand your ground" laws. While Facebook has committed to using only clean energy, that won't mean a thing if it helps pass ALEC's anti-clean energy agenda. Tell Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: No more attacks on our environment! Quit ALEC now!

Right now we are in the middle of the last official public comment period for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This project is a climate disaster, bringing 830,000 barrels per day of tar sands oil from Canada across the US to be refined and burned. The State Department is accepting comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement -- this is the last chance to comment on the project before President Obama makes his decision about the pipeline.

On Feb. 2nd, a coal ash pond belonging to Duke Energy spilled 30,000 to 40,000 tons of toxin-laced ash into the Dan River, coating 70 miles of riverbed with toxic sludge. Yet Duke Energy may be able to evade responsibility for the disaster and for cleaning up its coal ash lagoons because of their cozy relationship with high-ranking McCrory appointees and employees within NC's environmental regulatory agency.