Quigley Statement on Michigan Oil

WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) issued the following statement following the crack in a Michigan pipeline that caused oil to leak into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, which flows into Lake Michigan:

"To hear the news of another environmental disaster so soon after the tragedy in the Gulf is heart-breaking. How many oil spills, decimated ecosystems, and broken communities will we endure before we understand the true cost of carbon? Today we have been presented with still more compelling evidence of why we cannot continue to use fossil fuels as a crutch, and must commit to a clean energy economy."

Later this week, Congressman Quigley will be offering two amendments to H.R. 3534 - the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act of 2010 - that will shift our Outer Continental Shelf policy to focus on protection of the environment rather than oil and gas extraction. Additionally, he will be sending a letter to President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Chairmen of the International Joint Commission, urging these leaders to undertake a review of oil and gas drilling by Canada in the Great Lakes.