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Sierra Club Mackinac Chapter Water Sentinels Project 109 E. Grand River Ave. Lansing, MI 48906 517-484-2372 Media Release from the Sierra Club Water Sentinels Project For Immediate Release Contact: Rita Jack Friday, April 25, 2003 Sierra
Club Mackinac Chapter 517-484-2372 Volunteers Needed to Help
Investigate Pine River and Horse Creek Sierra Club Water Sentinel Volunteers
Plan for Part 3 of Study of Aquatic Life in Gratiot County’s Pine River Lansing, MI: On Saturday May
3, trained volunteers in Michigan’s Sierra Club Water Sentinels project
will assess habitat and biologic conditions in Horse Creek and the Pine River
in Alma and St. Louis in Gratiot County.
More volunteers are needed to help assess conditions at 8 to 10 sites. They will be trained to collect data on
habitat conditions, and collect and count aquatic organisms to assign a
“health score” to each site. This is the group’s third monitoring session on the Pine, and
represents an ongoing commitment to see the river restored. This year, water quality monitoring to
assess current conditions is more important than ever as several important
changes will occur at the Total Petroleum, TPI site, now owned by Valero Energy
Company. Horse Creek, used for
decades by the refinery to discharge petroleum hydrocarbon wastes to the Pine
River, is slated for cleanup this year.
Dismantling work at the oil refinery site is on schedule, with completion
due in 2004. It is very important
to assess current conditions and establish a baseline, so that future long-term
monitoring can be done to assess recovery of the Pine River and Horse Creek. Work of the volunteer Water Sentinels
complements monitoring done by refinery consultants and the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality. “We
can use all the help we can get, and local knowledge is especially
needed,” Rita Jack said.
“The Pine River is finally getting the attention it deserves, and
we want to help that process as much as possible. I think it’s wonderful that the
state is taking steps to ensure the Pine River will be returned to health one
day, and that our work helped to make it happen.” Individuals who want to help with these efforts are welcome to join in,
no experience is needed! Please
RSVP to Rita Jack at the Sierra Club office in Lansing at 517-484-2372. We will meet at Alma College in the
geology lab of Dr. Murray Borrello, located in the Dow Kapp
building in room 234 at 9am for training and orientation and to pass out
equipment and maps to the sites. Breakfast
snacks, coffee and juice will be provided.
All Water Sentinel volunteers will also receive free t-shirts. ### ~~~~~~~~><>~~~~~><>~~><>~~~~~ Rita Jack Water Sentinels Project Director Mackinac Chapter Sierra Club tel: 517-484-2372 http://www.sierraclub.org/watersentinels/ "Speak out - even if your voice
shakes." |