OPIRG
Tries to Save Lake Erie
To
the Editors:
If
you happened to be in Wilder Bowl last Friday, you may have noticed
a table where students were trying to get people to make phone calls
to State Senator Jeffrey Armbruster. This is just the latest of
recent efforts put forth by Ohio PIRGs Lake Erie protection
campaign.
For those who do not know why Lake Erie needs protecting, heres
a brief recap of events. The oil and gas industries approached the
federal government to get permission to drill in the Great Lakes
for miniscule fuel resources (about eight days worth of energy a
year at peak production, which wont be reached for at least
ten years). The federal government denied the request, but the companies
were still allowed to petition individual states to get access rights.
Currently, Canada has allowed drilling on their side of the lake,
but have experienced an average of one accident a month. Michigan
has also allowed drilling, but after several accidents (which have
caused several injuries and even resulted in one persons death)
has recently been repealed. If drilling was allowed, it would adversely
affect the $1.5 billion tourist industry and the drinking water
of 3 million Ohio residents. Also, while Lake Erie is on the recovery
from its once dead state, the ecosystem is still fragile
and probably would not be able to sustain itself if drilling were
to occur.
Currently, a bill has been has been drafted in the senate that would
ban oil and gas drilling in Lake Erie (SB 96). Despite Governor
Bob Tafts support for a ban, Senate President Richard Finan
is against the bill and will not bring it up for a vote. PIRGs
mission this semester, among other things, has been to pressure
Senator Armbruster into convincing Senator Finan to allow this bill
to be voted on. Besides call-in action days, PIRG has been visiting
communities all over Lorain county collecting postcards to give
to Armbruster showing support for this issue. PIRG has also enlisted
the help of several coalition partners who would be adversely affected
by drilling in the lake.
However, it is student involvement that Oberlins PIRG chapter
really depends on. If you would like to help prevent a second Mistake
by the Lake, we urge you to call Senator Armbrusters
office at (614) 644-7613 or you can send him an e-mail through the
PIRG website at http://www.ohiopirg.org.
Mike McComb
College first-year
Ohio PIRG Lake Erie Campaign
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