The 2014 Reilly Center Forum presents:  Life Amongst the ‘Tar Sands’ Oil Pipelines: Impacts on Rural Communities and the Environment panel discussion. 

In July 2010, pipeline 6B spilled over 800,000 US gallons of “dilbit” oil into Talmadge Creek, a tributary to the Kalamazoo River in Southwestern Michigan. This was the largest on-land oil spill to date in North America. Cleanup activities are ongoing but have failed to meet the EPA’s required completion date.

The panelists will speak about the ecological ramifications of the Kalamazoo River spill, problems encountered by local homeowners and communities along the project, the role of government environmental and regulatory agencies in pipeline oversight, and greater concerns about the health of the Great Lakes.

Panelists Include: 

• Dr. Stephen Hamilton, professor of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry at Michigan State University and the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station.

• Dr. Patricia Maurice, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, who is also a homeowner along the Line 6B replacement project.

• Dr. Jeff Insko, an English professor and coordinator of American Studies at Oakland University in Michigan, who is also a homeowner along Line 6B, director of the Line 6B Concerned Citizens’ Blog, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Pipeline Safety Trust.

• Beth Wallace, Community Outreach Regional Coordinator for the Great Lakes Regional Center of the National Wildlife Federation, and also a Pipeline Safety Trust board member.

The panel will be moderated by Gary Sieber (WNDU/WNIT).

This event is sponsored by the following departments at Notre Dame: The John J. Reilly Center, The University of Notre Dame Law School, Globes, and cSEND -Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame.  It is free and open to the public.

Please see the flyer for more information.