E-M:/ Exxon Valdez 15 Years Later

["Kate Madigan" <kmadigan@pirgim.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 24, 2004        

                                               

MEDIA ADVISORY

Conservationists, Religion and Labor Come Together in Michigan

to Mark 15 Year Anniversary of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Disaster

 

TODAY, Wednesday, March 24, 2004 marks the 15^th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill – America’s largest oil spill and possibly our greatest environmental disaster. Eleven million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound in Alaska killing millions of birds, otters, whales and other marine creatures.  The effects of the spill are still felt in Prince William Sound to this day. 

 

At a time when we should use the memory of the Exxon Valdez disaster to move towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, the oil industry and their friends in power continue to push for more drilling in Alaska. These same groups are pushing to open up some of our wildest public lands, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil drilling – but isn’t one oil disaster in Alaska enough?

 

TODAY, conservationists, the religious community and labor – under the umbrella of the Alaska Coalition – will commemorate the Exxon Valdez oil spill and advocate better energy solutions for the United States, and particularly for Michigan, than listening to the Oil Industry.

 

WHAT:           Press Conference of Religious, Labor and Conservation Groups.

 

WHO:             In Detroit-area (Wyandotte):

·         Jay McMurran, Political Coordinator, United Steelworkers of America, District 2

·         Dr. Jim Bull, President, Detroit Audobon Society

·         Rev. Charles Morris, Pastor, St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church; Founder and Executive Director, Michigan Interfaith Power and Light

·         Derek Brockbank, Field Organizer, Alaska Coalition of Michigan

 

In Lansing:

·         Ann Larabee, Professor, Michigan State University; Author, Decade of Disaster.

·         Kate Madigan, Environmental Advocate, PIRGIM

·         Brian Preston, Great Lakes Organizer, National Wildlife Federation

·         James Clift, Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council

 

WHEN:           In Detroit-area (Wyandotte):                           In Lansing:

TODAY                                                           TODAY

Wednesday, March 24, 2004                              Wednesday, March 24, 2004

                        11:30 AM EST                                                  11:00 AM EST

 

WHERE:         St. Elizabeth Catholic Church                             East Capital Steps

                        138 Goodell St.                                                  Michigan State Capital

                        Wyandotte, MI 48192                                        Lansing, MI 48909

 

CONTACTS:     Derek Brockbank, (734) 662-6597,

derek@alaskacoalition.org, fax: (734) 662-8393

 

 

#       #       #

 

Derek Brockbank
Field Organizer, Alaska Coalition of Michigan
Green Corps
Phone: (734) 662-6597
Fax: (734) 662-8393
derek@alaskacoalition.org