Posted Draft EIS Comments

Please view the file attached.

Line 5 is an unnecessary danger and represents a backwards look at energy and our shared concern for environmental stewardship.

The only way that the ecosystem and waters of the Great Lakes can be fully protected is to shut down the Enbridge Line 5 dual pipelines and choosing Sub-Alternative 1, which would abandon the pipelines after cleaning and plugging.

In the Temporal Considerations of the EIR, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commented that the Preferred Alternative pipeline construction would "perpetuate the use of Line 5 overall and...these factors are not within the USACE's scope of analysis." Therefore, this means that the United States becoming less dependent upon oil is not even taken into consideration.

Additionally, Enbridge is responsible for the worst inland oil spill in U.S. history. We cannot trust this company with the world's largest freshwater system at stake. It is a miracle that line 5 has not leaked already. The kicker is that the hired contractor donated $1 million to Trump's campaign.

We don't need to replace an aging pipeline system with another pipeline system. Do NOT choose the Preferred Alternative. Instead, clean and plug these aging pipelines so that we can work at replacing foreign oil with cleaner and more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

I am very much opposed to the development of LIne 5. Line 5 has not undergone an adequate comprehensive risk assessment.
The supposed"energy emergency" used to justify the project simply does not exist and is politically motivated and should not override public safety and environmental protections. Also is using that argument the US and Michigan in particular would see 10% or less of the actual oil. An oil spill into the great lakes would be catastrophic for ot just the wildlife but for the the drinking water and economy and health of Michigan.
By allowing the tunnel to proceed locks us into decades of fossil fuel dependency and exacerbates the current climate crisis.
Tribal Nations and indigenous communities have not been adequately consulted
Many experts who have reviewed Enbridge's plans share concerns for the logistics of placing a tunnel under a lakebed as it is complicated, dangerous and technically challenging. Also it puts the workers a a considerable risk.

Attached comment is in support of Line 5 and the Great Lakes Tunnel and urges granting of permits necessary to begin construction.

As a union representative, I strongly support the continued operation and modernization of Enbridge Line 5. This pipeline plays a critical role in ensuring the reliable delivery of energy that powers homes, businesses, and industry across the Upper Midwest.

From a labor standpoint, Line 5 supports thousands of good-paying, skilled union jobs both directly through pipeline maintenance and construction, and indirectly through the industries that rely on affordable, consistent energy.

Enbridge has a long-standing track record of operating safely and efficiently, and recent investments in modernizing the infrastructure, including the tunnel project, show their commitment to protecting the environment and public safety. Shutting down Line 5 would not only jeopardize jobs, but would also increase reliance on less safe and less efficient transportation methods like trucking and rail.

This project represents a smart, balanced approach to energy infrastructure one that prioritizes safety, supports economic growth, and ensures energy reliability for the region.

I urge regulators and decision-makers to recognize the value Line 5 brings to both workers and communities across the region.

In 2017 I traveled from Holland to Lansing twice, in order to attend the public meetings of the Michigan Pipeline Safety Board. One of the stated purpose of the meetings were to provide information to the public, however, the minutes of the meetings were not shared with the public, nor were recordings made except of the public comments, and those were made by Detroit Public TV, which also gave airtime to pro-pipeline industry employees.

Had the minutes been made public, the information provided by the Coast Guard officer should have been enough to shut the pipeline down immediately. He said that there is nothing the Coast Guard could do about an oil spill in waves over 3 feet. Please find and look at the minutes of the January or and the March or April meetings to verify what I’m reporting. In addition, a lawyer representing the public interest was also on the Board and he had a brochure about a machine that Enbridge had recently purchased for the purpose of cleaning up an oil spill in the Great Lakes. The brochure stated that the machine was effective in UP TO 3 foot waves.

At the second meeting of the year 2017, the board heard testimony from a member of the University of Michigan department that studied the probable impacts of an oil spill from Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinaw. The potential cost of damages to the ecosystems, the fish and wildlife , recreation, the fishing industry and tourist industry, were astronomical. Please look at the minutes for the results of that study.

Expert information was presented about the cost of gas and propane for Michigan consumers should the pipeline be shut down. It was estimated that gas might go up a penny a gallon and propane could be provided to the few who need it in the U.P. by delivering gas to Rapid River in the U.P. And having it processed into propane in Superior, Wi.. Propane is readily available in teh rest of the state through inland pipelines and the cost of cleaning of a oil truck spill is manageable while cleaning up a spill when the Straits are frozen or frigid from October to May is impossible.

If I find my notes from attending the meetings 7 years ago, I will write again. I implore you to find and read the minutes of the MPSB from 2017 for yourself.

Sincerely,

Jerilynn Tucker
Retired school psychologist and grandmother

To whom it concerns. I have watched this debate for too many years continue with no conclusion. The folks whom do not want the Line 5 tunnel project are the same folks whom for years have been stating that the existing pipeline on the lake bed will fail. Perhaps they are correct. However. Enbridge walked right into The State of Michigan, pulled up their big boy pants and requested a permit to construct a tunnel below the lakebed and run NEW pipeline thru it. Novel idea. Enough is enough. We must permit Enbridge to construct the tunnel and the subsequent pipeline(s). The Eastern U.P. residence and businesses will suffer financially if propane coats rise. Please grant Enbridge and do this expediently the required permits to build Line 5 tunnel. Once its done and operational all worries about potential anchor strikes are null. Thanks for allowing me to comment. Tom A.

Greetings, for the last few months, I have been studying what Line 5 is, where and what it transports, and the risk of the pipeline continuing. Also, I have been looking into the company Enbridge and what their background is with their pipelines in the Midwest. It is not a safe option to keep Enbridge’s Line 5 operating because of Enbridge's history of oil spills and legal

issues. Diving into Enbridge's history with Michigan and the Midwest region, Michigan’s major oil spill in the Kalamazoo river back in 2010 was by no other by Enbridge. The pipeline leaked out over 1,000,000 gallons of tar sands crude oil, which by the way is one of the hardest types of oil to clean up because it sinks to the bottom of the water and we can’t really see it. That is the largest oil spill in United States history and it’s not even by an American company. The spill damaged 35 miles of the river, took around 5 years to maximize the cleaning and damaged over 3,000 animals and their habitat. The most recent oil spill took place less than 7 months ago, in Wisconsin, west of Milwaukee. On November 11th, 2024, around 70,000 gallons of oil spilled in Jefferson County. This time it was the biggest spill in Wisconsin history, unfortunately, the oil spill did eventually reach groundwaters, around 4.2 gallons of oil. Also the oil spill is still near other wetlands and waterways which we do not know if there was an impact because the oil spill was so recent. What makes this situation odd is that 3 days after the spill, Wisconsin approved the first permits to have Line 5 rerouted around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation. Finally to Line 5 problems, the major one being that the pipeline is over around 70 years old, being very old and it was originally built to last 50 years. Also, throughout Line 5’s operation, the pipeline has leaked at least 33 times in its lifetime. Just to mention all steel or metal erodes over time, meaning the longer we go with operating this long, we put the Great Lakes at risk everyday. If the old line has a spill in the Straits of Mackinac, would enter into Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, which would impact our drinking water, animal habitats in the ocean and on the shores, take years to clean up and will also cause economic issues. Now to the illegal issues, the agreements on the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa land expired in June 2013, meaning Line 5 has been operating illegally on Native American lands for 12 years. In 2020, Michigan’s Governor revoked the 1953 agreement for Line 5 to continue operations, operations were supposed to stop in May of 2021, yet again Enbridge continues operations

illegally. Ongoing current environmental problems with the new line 5 proposition, the construction of upgrading this line will release about 20,000 gallons of fluid for drilling operations and drawdown groundwater. This is going to have long-term effects on wetland loss due to ground disturbance and is estimated to lose 4.17 acres of wetlands. North of the construction site is estimated to lose 1.53 acres of wetlands. Wetlands are important to Michigan because wetlands are nature's natural water filters, help with flood control, and play a key role in nutrient recycling In the Great Lakes Construction of the tunnel can disturb lake beds and fish spawning points. Also consider how drilling fluid can affect the quality of the water. Many fish and species will die because they won't be able to adapt to 20,000 gallons of drilling fluids, Also the quality of the water can be affected due to the new addition of fluid. Now, this operation won’t be simple and quiet, this operation will be loud and complex driving fish out of that area for an indefinite period. Another long-term effect that will be important is vegetation, vegetation will have to be removed but will eventually be planted back to the extent that it can be. With all that being said, It is not a safe option to keep Enbridge’s Line 5 operating because of Enbridge's history of oil spills and legal issues. The environmental risks are too heavy for the line to even continue since it is 22 years past its supposed lifespan and anytime now the pipe can burst or leak and it would behorrible.