Jason Margerum
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Pledge To Be An Energy Voter
With the right leadership and vision, we can ensure all Americans benefit from our nation’s emergence as an energy leader. It’s time to fulfill our bright energy future; it’s time to vote for candidates that support Local 798 jobs and the work that we do.
Join Local 798 by signing the petition and becoming an Energy Voter.
I understand the urgent need for clean, affordable and domestically sourced energy in my community, across my state and in throughout the nation. That is why I stand with political candidates and elected officials who show their support for an energy pipeline network that will safely and efficiently transport the nation’s abundant supply of domestic natural gas and oil supplies.
America is leading the world in oil and natural gas production. Working together, we can do even more. Producing, refining and transporting more domestic oil and natural gas will mean more abundant energy – and that means more affordable energy for American families and businesses.
We know there is enough potential domestic energy to serve all residential, business and industrial needs across the country. Yet, support for critical energy infrastructure is lacking among our political leaders.
To support my livelihood, my family and my community, I will enter the voting booth informed about how political leaders stand on the issue of energy infrastructure development. I will do my part to help elect leaders who recognize the tremendous benefits of and need to grow our energy transportation network and who support the union workforce that will build it.
Sincerely,
American Energy Industry Supporter
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Tell the Whitmer Administration You Support Line 5
Governor Gretchen Whitmer's administration has revoked the original easement for the Line 5 Pipeline that lets the pipeline operate for 4.5 miles across the Straits of Mackinac. This order jeopardizes critical tax revenue for the local and state economies, energy access for residents and thousands of jobs - many belonging to Local 798 members in Michigan. The battle over Line 5 heightened in 2020 when Gov. Whitmer announced she was seeking a state court injunction to force Enbridge to shut down Line 5 and “permanently decommission” the pipeline, even though the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the federal regulator that oversees the pipeline, had said that it is “aware of no unsafe or hazardous conditions that would warrant shutdown of Line 5.”
We submitted the below petition to Gov. Whitmer in March 2021 with 3,209 signatures and again in July with a total of 4,055 signatures. We will continue to collect signatures on this petition, as we anticipate other opportunities this year to send a louder message to the governor to stop playing politics with the energy needs and anxieties of U.S. consumers and businesses that depend on Line 5!
Dear Governor Whitmer:
I continue to stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in support of Enbridge’s Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project. Shutting down the replacement of Line 5, a $500 million private investment, puts Michigan’s energy and economic future at serious risk as a result of a major disruption of the state's energy supply.
The concerns raised by your administration regarding Line 5 focus on the threat of an oil spill in the Straits and how that would harm the economy, environment and enjoyment of the Great Lakes. However, Enbridge continues to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining a high level of safety, including the diligent 24/7 monitoring of the Straits crossing, regular inspections and operating the line at less than 25 percent of its maximum design capabilities to minimize stress on the pipeline steel and enhance safety. Also, Enbridge has a proactive inspection program to monitor the fitness of Line 5. This includes evaluating every inch of the pipeline interior every five years using in-line inspection tools that provide detail on par with MRIs in the medical industry. Preventing this project from moving forward in light of all these protections is harmful to Michigan's energy and economic future.
In 2018 alone, Enbridge paid nearly $8 million in base salary to Michigan employees and approximately $60 million in property taxes in the state for its energy infrastructure projects, which was then invested in schools, roads and bridges and other important public services. Line 5 will create many good paying construction jobs, secure access to reliable energy for businesses and homes across the state, and generate significant economic activity in the project area.
The company has previously entered into agreements with the state of Michigan, outlining actions Enbridge is taking to protect the state’s water bodies within the project footprint, including implementing additional safety measures to mitigate impacts and overall increased coordination with the state regarding operations and maintenance of Line 5. Enbridge also entered into a subsequent agreement with the state that puts in place enhanced inspection and operations protocols for the project.
Enbridge continues to address concerns raised by environmentalists and government officials in regards to the safety of Line 5 and has demonstrated a clear plan to finish construction by 2021 in order to safely and efficiently deliver energy to homes and businesses across the state. This is why I am concerned your administration continues to play politics with the employment opportunities for union workers and the energy needs of U.S. consumers and businesses that depend on Line 5.
Signed,
Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project Supporter
**Local 798 may submit your name to other local and state decision makers in support of Line 5.**
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Join me in support of the Line 3 Replacement Project and sign the petition! #Local798
Sign the Line 3 Support Petition
We have submitted the below petition to various decision makers during the permitting process for Enbridge's Line 3 Replacement Project. The most recent submission was in July 2021 to President Joe Biden with 6,261 signatures urging his administration to honor key permits for Line 3 amid pressure from opposition groups for revocation or suspension.
Further delay on this critical project jeopardizes thousands of jobs, many belonging to Local 798 members. We will continue to collect signatures on this petition in anticipation of new advocacy opportunities. Add your name now!
I proudly support the Line 3 Replacement Project. Once in operation, Line 3 will provide a much-needed update to Enbridge’s Mainline System, ensuring that it continues to safely transport energy required to meet growing demands from eastern Canada to the Gulf Coast.
The project has already undergone unprecedented environmental review, culminating with the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which was based on the most extensive environmental study of a pipeline project in Minnesota state history. After careful review of the FEIS, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved the certificate of need, route permit and environmental review for the project, and I believe other permitting agencies should offer similar support for the following key reasons:
- Enbridge has demonstrated plans to restore 99.98% of the potential wetland impacts during construction;
- Replacing aging infrastructure is critical in order to safely meet the region’s growing demand for reliable energy;
- Construction will support approximately 1,500 jobs in Minnesota alone;
- Project activity will generate critical tax revenue in each county the project intersects while providing a multi-billion-dollar boost to the regional economy.
The people of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin deserve the tremendous economic and energy benefits associated with this critical infrastructure project. This is why I support the Line 3 Replacement Project and urge swift approval of necessary permits and certifications.
Signed,
Line 3 Replacement Project Supporter
**Local 798 may submit your signature to state and federal regulatory bodies, elected officials and other decision makers in support of the Line 3 Replacement project.**
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Join me in support of the PennEast Pipeline and sign the petition! #Local798
Support PennEast Pipeline
The U.S. Supreme Court is deciding an eminent domain case pitting the State of New Jersey against the PennEast Pipeline Co. after hearing oral arguments in April 2021. In anticipation of possible advocacy opportunities on this front, add your name to our petition supporting this important project.
Natural gas has contributed billions to the national economy. The Northeast has emerged as a critical region in our country’s energy future. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are poised to be leading energy producing states. Yet, it is well documented that the region does not have the necessary infrastructure to connect these states’ gas production with consuming markets.
The PennEast Pipeline will bring affordable, clean natural gas supplies to families and businesses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, while providing a welcomed economic boost to the region. The infrastructure is expected to generate more than $1.6 billion in short-term economic impact, followed by hundreds of millions in annual savings to electric and natural gas customers. This is not to mention the increased tax revenues and hundreds of millions of dollars in savings consumers will enjoy when they switch to natural gas.
There is clearly a growing demand for energy and as we look to resources to meet that demand, natural gas makes the most sense. It's reliable, cost-effective, and best of all - it's right here in our own backyard. Americans are eager for complete independence from foreign oil, and while renewable energy is a respectable long-term goal, we are not at a point where renewables are a viable option. Families simply cannot afford the costs, and our power grid cannot bank on an unreliable power source that is unable to meet our current power needs, let alone the power demands of future generation.
PennEast Pipeline is a multi-billion-dollar private investment the Northeastern energy infrastructure, providing an opportunity to put thousands of our local laborers to work, and helping millions of Americans gain access to affordable, reliable, environmentally responsible and domestically produced energy. The benefits associated with PennEast are exactly why elected officials work so hard to develop strategies for safe and responsible pipeline development that will bring resources to hungry markets in the Commonwealth and beyond.
I believe it is critical to the economic and energy future of our communities that our elected officials and decision makers fully recognize the significance of this proposed infrastructure. Please support the PennEast Pipeline, and encourage the completion of this project without delay.
Jason Margerum 1047sc