History

The beginning of Lone Tree

In July, 1978, five citizens in Bay City, angered by growing problems at Consumers Power Company’s Midland nuclear construction, decided to meet to discuss the issue. It soon became clear to them that the Midland reactors were too costly, potentially dangerous, and unnecessary.

  It was decided to formally organize and oppose the continued construction. During the search for a name for the organization, one member read of a centuries old Saginaw valley Indian legend that told of an aging ash tree inhabited by a single white owl. According to the story, as long as the tree remained standing the natives of the valley would prosper. And the prophecy was accurate – for many years the fertile valley provided ample resources for the people that lived in it.

  With the passage of time, however, encroaching settlers – the newest residents of the valley, killed the owl of the tree and shortly thereafter the tree itself fell – as did the fortunes of the original settlers.

  The tree – a single, strong, upright image of the power and beauty of nature, seemed a fitting symbol to represent the opposition  to this threat to the newest residents of Saginaw valley.

  The fledgling organization became – the Lone Tree Council.

Nuclear History

 In 1978, the year of it founding, the organization arranged to bring the nationally known pediatrician, Dr. Benjamin Spock, to the area to discuss nuclear power.

  In 1979, Lone Tree Succeeded in blocking a Bay City buy-in of the nuclear plant, pointing out the tremendous liabilities to the Bay City Commission.

  In 1980, several members of the group traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with there congressional delegation to educate them on the problem.

  In 1981, when it became apparent that many workers at the site were willing to share there concerns about problems in construction, Lone Tree contacted the Government Accountability project. (GAP) of Washington D.C. GAP agreed to investigate and, as a result, employees have confidently revealed many problems at the site.

  In 1982, the Saginaw City Council joined nine other organizations including the Ingersoll Township Board, and UAW Local 362, in passing a Lone Tree initiated resolution calling for a halt in the construction.

  In 1983, a four month campaign to distribute 40,000 pieces of literature in the Saginaw Valley was inaugurated and the Lone Tree supported the efforts of interventors Mary Sinclair and Barb Stamaris in their their attempts to bring problems to the light before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB).

  In 1984, with pressure from industry, continuing construction problems, and growing financial instability – the Consumers Power Company cancelled the Midland Nuclear Plant.

  The battle had been won, it was over. But was it?

Environmental History

For years Lone Tree had remained focused on the threat of nuclear power in the valley. We decided to look closer at the environment of the Saginaw Valley and decided whether to continue the struggle.

  What we found was disturbing. Despite the fact that our waters were getting cleaner: The International Joint Commission said…”The Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay are one of the 18 worst polluted areas in U.S./Canadian waters”.

  A state advisory urges skiers and swimmers not to submerge their heads in the Saginaw River.

  U.S. Environmental protection agency representatives do not recommend that pregnant woman and children eat fish from the Tittabawassee river, and fish advisories remain on bottom feeding fish in the Saginaw River and the Saginaw Bay.

  The Michigan Department of Public Health has noted that some soft-tissue cancers and birth defects were found in far greater numbers in the Saginaw Valley than national averages. We decided to continue.

  Since that decision, Lone Tree has actively pushed for the clean-up of PCB’s at the Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada facility: supported Greenpeace in their calling for a halt to Dow Chemical Company’s toxic discharges into the Tittabawasee River; supported a moratorium on malathion use by mosquito control; opposed dumping toxic Saginaw River dredging on Crow Island; called for vapor controls on local gas stations to eliminate toxic fume; opposed a sanitary landfill in Beaver Township; prepared environmental educational material and lobbied for a strong Superfund.