Sun Kills with Oil Spills!

On Feb. 5th, 2000, a hiker discovered an oil spill at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Tinicum. Official estimates indicate as much as 191,000 gallons of crude oil may have leaked into this fragile wildlife refuge. As much as 18,000 gallons still remain to be cleaned from the area. The refuge is home to threatened species including the red bellied turtle and the ultimate impact may not be known for months. The EPA is requesting that Sunoco install advanced leak detection systems on the leaking pipeline and its sister pipelines.

Sun oil is threatening to poison the citizens of New Jersey!

Over objections by the EPA, Sunoco is extending these same lines under the Philadelphia International Airport as part of the airport’s Terminal One expansion project. The new pipelines are located at a maximum depth of 60 feet, near and within portions of the New Jersey Coastal Plain Sole Source Aquifer which supplies the drinking water to most of southern New Jersey. Associated pipelines in the area carry the dangerous chemical MTBE.

MTBE a gasoline additive meant to decrease emissions of smog is extremely water soluble and can make water undrinkable at concentrations of as little as 15 parts per billion! MTBE has been found in the water tables of more than 10,000 locations in California alone. A leak in the new pipelines could contaminate the aquifer threatening the drinking water of 275,000 residents. But Sun doesn’t give a damn about the people of New Jersey. The EPA is requesting Sun install additional leak detection devices on the pipelines due to the clear danger any leak could cause citizens of southern New Jersey. Sun oil is refusing to comply with this request.

National fossil fuel consumption is at an all time high. Despite signs of global climate change and health problems due to the mining and use of petroleum, oil companies continue to act like there is nothing wrong. In addition to their environmental practices oil companies remain some of the worlds most blatant abusers of democracy and human rights, bribing and corrupting where possible, waging full scale military wars against indigent populations where its not. At the current rates of consumption, world petroleum reserves are expected to run out between 2020 and 2070.

With the end in sight, some companies are researching other sources of renewable and less poluting energy.

We are demanding that Sun install leak detection devices on both the Tinicum and South Jersey Sole Source Aquifer lines as requested by the EPA. In addition we are also demanding Sun devote at least 20 percent of its annual research budget to renewable or non-polluting energy resources. Sun has got to start looking farther than this year’s profit

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