Posted Draft EIS Comments

Time to move on and issue the permit to allow the construction to proceed. We need the pipeline.

I am a landowner/attorney/business owner etc in the western UP. We (5 adults here, fully supportThe line 5 tunnel project at the mackinaw straits. It should be approved and fully permitted without further delay. I just read the "Ross/Homsi -Interlochen public radio & WCMU" report in our local daily news paper, which was another informative summary of the project and the claimed impacts. But these impacts appear to be heavily skewed toward the project's opposition. You can clearly see the opinions of the project's heavy resistance from extreme environmentalists. The article reports one-sided effort the opposition, these "critics" have been trying to sell us for the past several years. They include the MI governer and AG whose effort has been an embarrassment to the people. This report says little about the benefits of, safely improving, and national scale of this energy supply, .

The pipeline serves a critical function, transporting enormous quantitys of crude and natural gas daily, from western Canada to Sarnia and beyond. (it doesn't start in superior WI, how foolish that claim is) I do not know if the one remaining refinery in MI (Marathon-Detroit) gets crude or gas from it. This pipe serves the upper midwest with energy and the raw material used in products we all use every day, the resistance included. They seek to shut it off, when its part of the most important infrastructure in the US., other than highways. Recall when propane went to $6 per gallon for an entire winter a few short years ago. The public was kept ignorant, calling this a shortage. Fact is the Cenex company (in MN) rededicated their MN/WI/IL system pipline from gas/propane to some other chemical. They own it, they could do it, and they did it. This shortage was completely artificial, but demonstrates what will happen. If line 5 was shut down, natural gas, propane, and motor fuel prices would skyrocket, in the entire midwest, and especially here in the poor UP. I suspect the 2 new powerplants in MQT, no longer coal (which is good) would be shut off, thus no electricity either.

We could do the math of replacing the supply ( the pipe is clean, quiet, for the most part a non polluting electric pump transportation system) with trucks. It would take 1000 plus trucks per day (or more) to transport what the pipe does, and they would be right on US2, the bridge, and I75. What a great idea. Not to mention the diesel fuel (675 mi at 5mpg each way), jeez that's 270,000 gallons of diesel used up every day, not to mention the emissions, noise, traffic, roads, etc. I can say alot more, but good sense has to come into play here somewhere.

Are we in favor of the tunneL? You betcha we are. It's the best and safest idea yet. We are mad at the fools resisting it. We do realize a good portion of the resistance does the effort for financial reward only. The environment has little to do with it, it's only the ship they ride on. (almost forgot to mention that, dozens of oil or pressurized gas tankers on lake superior and huron, what an idea!) Approve the tunnel immediately, so the project can get started, immediately. Next step, Enbridge must start replacing the line, its 72 years old and needs replacement, end to end. This will take many years, and will be an economic boom the the region.

I do not support the Line 5 tunnel and I encourage the Corps of Engineers not to build it for the following reasons:
1. Oil carried through pipeline, even in current form, does not materially support United States;
2. Environmental damage from ruptured pipeline would be catastrophic to Straits-area ecosystems and tourism (rather than allegedly protected with tunnel, pipeline should simply be de-commissioned);
3. Claims of economic benefit (jobs) from building tunnel would be short-term;
4. Enbridge does not have a good record of managing environmental damage.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Peter D. Olson, Ph.D.

First of all, I am a lifelong resident of Michigan, and am a private citizen, but also a business owner in Traverse City. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to present my point of view. Coming to you to encourage the Corps of Engineers to reject the application for the Line 5 Tunnel.

It seems to me as a business owner, if someone came to me with a proposal that said “we want to propose a project that’s never been done before, under one of the most sensitive environmental regions in the world, and we have one shot to get this right” the first question I would ask them would be “tell me a bit more about your record in building and maintaining this type of project.”

Then they said to me “well, first of all we’re moving this forward quickly because someone gave us a chance because there’s supposedly an energy emergency in this country. And honestly we’ve been spilling oil for decades and we more or less try to erase our mistakes, even though we know that irreparable damage is done every time mistakes happen, and really can’t tell you what will happen in the future as a result of those mistakes. But we’re fast-tracking this because we now have a window of opportunity given the point of view of the current administration. For us, this is a Hail Mary to try to save our business interests and preserve the status quo.”

On the basis of their past incompetence alone, I think the Corps of Engineers should reject this proposal.

On the points brought forward during the public comment portion of the meeting:

Where there’s a market, there’s a way. Whether or not propane gets delivered to the UP or other places, other providers will rush to meet that demand. As far as other manufacturing processes, those demands will be met as well. Guaranteed.

The short-term economic benefits are just that: short term. To the point recently stated that union workers will get jobs and rent hotel rooms, there was also a temporary benefit in Valdez, Alaska when the people came by to try to rectify that spill as well - that community has never recovered from the damage. And as to whether the Kalamazoo river has never been cleaner, it is only in that state as a result of a catastrophic failure by Enbridge. To me, that’s tantamount to an offer to wax someone’s bumper after totaling their car.

For the economic development and oil and gas officials on this call, it’s discouraging to hear that you are advocating for a continuation of dependence on fossil fuels when this is an extractive resource that, relative to the span of time since humans started inhabiting this planet, will be gone in a heartbeat. I urge you to think about the future of your communities, businesses and future generations - and turn toward future-facing and renewable sources of energy.

Again, I strongly urge the Corps of Engineers to reject this request. Thanks for your time.

The danger to our water in Michigan is too great to allow Line 5 to continue. The tunnel alternative is still a danger to Michigan water and recreational economy. Why does Michigan need to provide a Canadian business with access to Michigan land when the oil comes from Canada and returns to Canada. There is no economic benefit to Michigan. Let Canada build a pipeline on it's own land.

My family resides on Mackinac Island where we have lived summers since 1958 and now live year-round. We are greatly concerned about the possible effects of Line 5 and a possible tunnel construction. The UM survey revealed how devastating an oil spill would be to the Straits of Mackinac and, specifically, Mackinac Island. The economy of northern Michigan depends on tourism and fishing and these would be devastated by an oil spill. Also, we have the most precious resource in the world, our Great Lakes. Fresh water is becoming rarer and rarer and needed by everyone. No risk is worth endangering our beautiful water resources. Enbridge has a terrible track record for safety, especially in Michigan (Kalamazoo spill). Please do not approve this tunnel permit.

I urge you to deny Enbridge building a tunnel around Line5,:which really needs to be removed.
Being born in 1953, I have been here as long as line 5.
The environmental damage to the straights is too big of a risk for us to take. A leak inside the tunnel could create a pipe bomb.
With the all the federal cuts to government employees and programs, where would the first responders come from and who would supply the dollars for all the damage and clean up…
Shut the line down. Don’t allow the tunnel permit.

I am opposed to the fast-tracking of this project which seems politically motivated. There is no emergency situation that requires that the health and safety of the Great Lakes be compromised. My understanding is that the Line 5 tunnel project has not yet been sufficiently and carefully studied in terms of the risks to the Great Lakes, the local economy, wildlife, public safety and environmental protection. In addition, the project should be assessed for the health impacts and greenhouse gas emissions before it proceeds. We cannot afford a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes. I think other alternatives should be considered and "fast-tracking" is simply foolish and unnecessary. Thank you.

Don’t sell out to big oil.
Don’t be the ones to fuck yo the Great Lakes w an inevitable oil spill

What are you thinking?!!
The Line 5 tunnel project violates so many of our values! And fast-tracking it violates even more values!
Please tell Enbridge that all of us who live near the Kalamazoo River have not forgotten their hugely destructive oil spill here, and their inept, inadequate response.
Please tell Enbridge that if they are intent on building a pipeline from one part of Canada to another, they need to build it entirely in Canada, far away from endangering the Great Lakes.
Please tell Enbridge to look around them and admit that their business model is contributing to all the wildfires and severe storms we are having, that are getting worse and worse.
Please tell Enbridge to think not only of their profits, but also of their responsibility to the future of their own grandchildren and everyone else’s grandchildren.
Please tell Enbridge they could have a very successful business and be a model our world needs if they invested in switching from a climate-change-causing business model to an alternative fuels business model.
Please tell Enbridge to have the courage to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.