Global Community Monitor

1. Global Community Monitor 10 years of Breathing New Life Into Communities gcmonitor.org

2. Empowering Communities Global Community Monitor (GCM) is a not for profit Environmental Justice and human rights organization working to empower industrial communities to recreate a clean, healthy and truly sustainable environment. GCM has researched, supported and organized actions on tar sands in frontline US communities since 2007. GCM launched a community air monitoring project in Alberta, Canada in 2010.

3. Tar sands: The most destructive project on the Planet • Located in Alberta, Canada, major regions near the Athabasca River, Peace River and Cold Lake.

4. Tar sands • “Oil” (bitumen) is mined, rather than drilled. • Energy intensive process, requiring more water and natural gas than conventional crude. • Needs entire infrastructure of pipelines and refineries for processing. • National Geographic: “Once considered too expensive, as well as too damaging to the land, exploitation of Alberta’s oil sands is now a gamble worth billions.”

5. Tar sands: Destruction • Mining sites and tailing ponds seen from space.

6. Tar sands Crude Increases Refinery Air Pollution Climate change gases: CO2, methane Volatile Organic compounds: benzene (cancer) Asthma inducing sulfur gases: hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide Heavy metals: lead and mercury (developmental damage) Small particles: PM 2.5 and 10 (asthma & lung damage) Carbon monoxide FACT: Tar sands is already being refined in the US. Tar sands Crude Increases Refinery Air Pollution • Climate change gases: CO2, methane • Volatile Organic compounds: benzene (cancer) • Asthma inducing sulfur gases: hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide • Heavy metals: lead and mercury (developmental damage) • Small particles: PM 2.5 and 10 (asthma & lung damage) • Carbon monoxide • FACT: Tar sands is already being refined in the US.

7. Midwest Refinery Expansions • More toxic emissions in the region • Increased long term health care costs • Declining property values • Greater climate change emissions

8. Example of increased tar sands air pollution at BP Whiting, Indiana refinery

9. Increased pollution of Great Lakes Region • Increased discharges of toxic pollution into Lake Erie. • Increased air deposition of heavy metals into waterways. • Environmental justice night- mare! Most communities in expansion areas are already overburdened by pollution.

10. Tar sands Refinery Battles: Marathon Detroit, MI • DETROIT FREE PRESS Nov 3, 2011:Marathon to offer buyouts to residents of polluted Detroit ZIP code “Marathon Petroleum, in the midst of its $2.2-billion expansion of its refinery in southwest Detroit, is offering to buy out more than 400 homeowners in the Oakwood Heights neighborhood near its refinery project and turn the neighborhood into a green buffer zone.“ • Marathon negotiated with Sierra Club Environmental Justice office and local residents on emissions reductions prior to beginning their tar sands project (heavy oil upgrade). • From 2009-11, Detroit residents ran a successful community Bucket Brigade air monitoring program documenting unsafe levels of benzene from Marathon and surrounding industry.

11. Tar sands Refinery Battles: BP Whiting, IN • NY TIMES September 15, 2011:Northwest Indiana-- Community Is Torn Over Expansion of Oil Refinery “Across the Midwest, refineries like BP are expanding to process the tar sands oil — heavy, gooey oil mixed with sand in vast deposits that will be shipped via pipeline from Alberta. Tar sands oil is expected to be a staple of this country’s energy future… Environmental groups [successfully] appealed the air permit that Indiana granted BP in 2008, saying it omitted expected increases in emissions, particularly from flaring, the burning off of toxic gases that shoots flames into the sky. The E.P.A. agreed and in 2009 ordered the state to redo the permit.” • City of Chicago Recreation Department, local, regional and state legislators and the public made a strong showing on the increased emissions into Lake Erie. • DELAY: A coalition of environmental organizations led by Natural Resources Defense Council filed a successful appeal of the BP permit. The permit completely left out the flares-a main source of toxic gas emissions-in their expansion. This project has had incredible delays sending BP’s permit back to the drawing board. • DELAY: GCM and the Calumet project filed an environmental justice appeal of the BP permit.

12. Tar sands Refinery Battles: Chevron Richmond, CA VICTORY! • ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP): Richmond, CA Court rejects Chevron refinery expansion appeal “The court says that among the issues Chevron must address before the project can proceed is whether the expanded facility will process heavy crude oil, which generates more pollution than lighter crude. The revised report must also detail how the company plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the refinery.” • EXPANSION STOPPED!An incredible organizing campaign by West County Toxics Coalition, Communities for a Better Environment, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Global Exchange and Earthjustice, the Chevron Refinery Expansion was stopped after several appeals in 2010.

13. Next Battleground: BP/Husky Toledo, OH • BP/Husky announced a $2.5 BILLION tar sands expansion in Dec. 2010. • No permits applied for or granted yet. • Unclear timeline and process for permits stifles public participation and opposition to project.

14. GCM & Community Action on Tar sands • Organizing community educational meetings • Air monitoring trainings • Collection of pollution data and link to health issues • Coordination of national and local groups • Secure local, regional and national media • Mobilize community to participate in permitting and regulatory processes

15. Local ACTION needed! • Permit watchdog. • Start a community air monitoring project: Bucket Brigade. • Organize on the issue: Educate Toledo area residents about the threats to air, water, climate change and public health. • Organize your school campus to support Toledo area activists. • Organize, support and join in Direct Action. CONTACT: Ruth Breech Ruth@gcmonitor.org gcmonitor.org Office: (510) 233-1870