Home > Environmental Law Home > Lawsuits > A Clean Energy Future for Detroit

Sierra Club Lawsuits

A Clean Energy Future for Detroit

Case Updates:

April 3, 2008

Citizens living near the site of Marathon Oil's Detroit refinery are already suffering from asthma, mercury poisoning and cancer. Now, Marathon has proposed a massive expansion of this facility, which would spew even more toxic pollution into the already overburdened neighborhood of Fort-Schaefer. On April 30, 2008 Sierra Club staff and volunteers stood up with community members in publicly voicing their opposition to the proposed expansion. In addition, the Sierra Club Environmental Law Program has submitted extensive technical and legal objections to this dirty facility.

"Instead of making another short-sighted investment in yesterday's dirty, polluting industries, Michigan should be investing in tomorrow's clean energy economy, bringing green jobs to Detroit and clean air and water to our communities," said Rhonda Anderson, Sierra Club's Environmental Justice Regional Representative. "Extracting the tar sands harms Native communities in Alberta, and refining the oil harms disadvantaged communities in Detroit."

Marathon is the only oil refinery in the state of Michigan, and its low-income neighbors suffer from the toxic pollution spewing from the facility and nearby toxic incinerators, coal-fired power plants and assembly plants. Expanding in order to process dirty tar sands from Alberta, which are major contributors to global warming, would impose further suffering on Detroit's most vulnerable residents. The Sierra Club Environmental Justice and Environmental Law Programs will continue to work to support community members in their quest for clean energy solutions and their opposition to dirty, outdated technology.

Details and Documents:

News Articles:

Marathon awaits permit for $1.9 billion expansion
May 7, 2008 by Rene Cizio, The News Herald

Incinerator Changes Owners Before City Decides It's Fate
April 14, 2008 by Eric T. Campbell, The Michigan Citizen