ANOTHER EPIC BIG OIL FAIL

Tricia Braid

May 20, 2015  |  Today's News

Big Oil would like to squash your local ethanol plant’s chances to gain market share. Frankly, they’d like to squash corn ethanol in general. To do that, they’ve pulled out all the stops to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard, delay the Chicago E15 Ordinance with their dirty tactics, and black-wash the rhetoric in Springfield about the E15 tax credit legislation pending there. All the while, they’ve added another black-eye to their long list of mishaps. The most recent is a tragic oil spill on California’s coast.

American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard calls these tragedies a ‘rare incident’. Really? We think it’s pretty much the norm, now. Let your representatives in Washington DC know that you support the RFS and so should they. And while you’re making calls, let your Illinois senator and representative know that they should support the Consumer Fuel Choice for Illinois.

Reuters, May 19: “A pipeline ruptured along the scenic California coastline on Tuesday, spilling some 21,000 gallons of oil into the ocean and on beaches before it could be secured, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said. The pipeline, which runs parallel to Highway 101 near Santa Barbara, left a slick extending about four miles (6.4 km) along Refugio State Beach, extending about 50 yards (46 meters) into the water.”

CNN, May 20: ‘Ruptured pipeline spills 21,000 gallons of oil along California coast’

Washington Post, May 20: ‘Pipeline causes four-mile oil spill along central California coast’

L.A. Times, May 20: ‘Officials assess damage from large Santa Barbara oil spill’: By late Tuesday, a thick layer of crude had begun to wash ashore, with black tar smearing the rocks as the brackish tides arrived. "It is horrible," said Brett Connors, 35, a producer from Santa Monica who said he spotted sea lions swimming in the oil slick. "You want to jump in there and save them."