Acres upon acres of thriving ecosystems are 
being sacrificed, as well as our Quality of Life
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                                                                photo by Bud Shaw © 

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Below you will find the submitted Bill Revision Request sent to Rep. Kolb (Ann Arbor) in the fall of 2002 by the Michigan Environmental Council

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We must insist our legislators use common sense in recognizing the urgency to enforce existing rules and laws concerning the practice of the Oil & Gas Industry as well as to create new rules and or laws that ensure the quality of life for all plant, bird, animal and people residing in and around the Industry activities.

• The DEQ needs more Field Officers as to effectively police all the well sites and pipelines on a frequent basis. 
• Enforce existing rules & laws concerning noise and environmental impact.   Nuisance noise to be eliminated both on state land & public owned lands - possible comprimise of nighttime shutdown of compressor facilities until an imposed  'state of the art' technology has been installed to reduce to an absolute minimum or totally eliminate nuisance noise 
• Endangered species / water quality disturbance / environmental impact study (possibly in conjuction with MSU for field study on the environmental affect of the industry - ie: bald eagle nesting sites & other endangered species nesting sites and or breeding grounds, etc...)
• 160 acre well spacing must not be comprimised.  
• Regulations in extraction total units to ensure our Futures' right to also prosper from this valuable resource. Imagine if tomorrow someone said "no more oil left". Our every day existence relies on oil based  products manufactured, plastics and fuel to heat our homes or run our vehicles. Developement of clean operating solar or wind power. This technology  must be instated to ensure the future generations accessibility to manufacture & obtain the many "things" needing the oil base for their chemical makeup. 
• We've dramatically reduced the earths oil resources in these passed 100 years.
• More and more of our infant children will grow and live in the world  we leave behind us in our 'todays'.   Let us respect and take care of their inheritance
•   Hoarding of extracted resources by private/government storage facilities should be prohibited.    This only secures the financial monopoly of current companies and individuals.   Let us not allow a repeat performance as that of the Rockefeller Era.

This area is not forfeiting the quality of life merely to the common change that occurs with what one may consider a 'normal' community growth. 
We are forfeiting our quality of life to gluttonous business practice where billions are profited at the people's expense as also that of the fragile ecosystem we live amidst. 

.Help make difference.  Start by voicing your thoughts that  have been contained to living rooms or grocery store lines. 

Contact your Representatives, .support Environmental groups such as Michigan Environmental Counsel who go to bat for us in the Legislation process
or simply post your Voice here. By doing any of these things, you are showing you do care. Many of us feel defeated as we've lived with this for years now. I'd rather think of it as we were just resting up and collecting more reasons on why things need changing.
Please, do not sit idle.