The Great Lakes are more than a beautiful resource, but are ecologically sensitive bodies of fresh water (21 percent of surface fresh water of the world).
Critical to the economies of the Great Lakes States and its consortium:
• The fishing industry: of all affected States
• Potable water for thousands of inhabitants included in the Great Lakes Consortium (GLC).
• Tourism’s annual generation of millions of dollars to the GLC States.
Damage caused by Enbridge workers in 2019 went undiscovered until 2020. There have been temporary shutdowns, but then Enbridge has ignored restrictions placed by Michigan’s government and tried to continue ‘work as usual.’ Governor Whitmer revoked the easement/access in 2021 because of the number of violations and Enbridge being out of compliance AND Enbridge’s habit of lying and bullying behavior. Its arrogance in abusing the Governor is galling. This is a State, not Federal, issue.
Having Line 5 crossing the Straits of Mackinac (linking Lakes Michigan and Huron and separating the Upper and Lower Peninsulas) would ensure the contamination of this precious and valuable freshwater resource with Enbridge pipeline’s next failure (not a question of IF, but WHEN), would occur in the most critical location, damaging fresh water quality, the fish and all other elements that thrive in the Lakes and associated industries, as well as the breadth of its disastrous spread, being magnified and uncontrollable. It’s not enough to penalize the harm done by Enbridge (past, present, future), but lives will be harmed.
Keep the pipelines well away from bodies of water, increase regulations and oversight, and find an alternate route that doesn’t count on trusting Enbridge or any other company that WILL cause so much damage. Dr. Carla L. Carleton (Mason, MI)
Please Extend the EIS time to be reviewed!!
EIS is necessary.
I’m opposed to any new oil pipelines that could damage our lakes.
It is inconceivable that Michigan should allow the safety and cleanliness of the great lakes to be put at risk just to protect the profits of a foreign oil company. Line 5 does not serve the interests of Michiganders, and its continued illegal operation under our waterways is already an affront to the rule of law and to all basic principles of environmental justice. The solution should not be a risky new tunnel around an already-illegal pipeline, it should be the immediate shutdown of oil flow and real investment in the renewable alternatives we desperately need.
Enbridge is currently operating illegally. Their easement in the straits has been revoked. Why does it not calculate into the decision that the permit requesting company is operating illegally in the state of Michigan?
Senior Geologist Mike Wilczynski writes “When mixed with water, bentonite will stick to everything it touches – killing off fisheries and destroying our drinking water – not to mention forming an impermeable barrier suspended on top of Lake Michigan for years to come.” Is bentonite really being used for this project? If so, what is being done to mitigate the destruction of drinking water and fisheries?
5 million gallons a day of waste water are planned for during construction. Enbridge is trying to get a 99 year lease – since they are operating long term in this manner — what effects do 5 million gallons/day of waste water pollution have on a 99 year basis?
Noise and extreme vibration disturbances to wildlife habitat are expected for this 2-6 year period of drilling. Has the ecological damage of this sonic pollution been properly assessed given the most recent research on the importance of sonic communication to marine wildlife?
What limits there will be to commercial and non-commercial fishing and shipping, what will be allowed and permitted during construction? Have these economic impacts been assessed?
The TBM boring machine is anticipated to excavate through bedrock with high hydrostatic pressure (up to 17 bars) and with the potential for variable rock conditions. There are known methane pockets which can cause devastating explosions and are responsible for the 17 work lives lost in the Tunnel attempted beneath Lake Huron. What is being done to mitigate the risk of encountering those known methane pockets?
In 2020, an archaeological site was found in the path of the proposed oil tunnel project. If completed, the tunnel could disturb or destroy existing cultural artifacts in violation of NAGPRA and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Has an archeological assessment of all parts of the permit area been conducted? Have disposal areas for excavated earth been identified and formal assessments made for those areas? Enbridge must consider eligible sites on the National Register of Historic Places detailed in section 106. Have archeological assessments been conducted on all parts of the permit area?
With so many tribes formally communicating their disapproval of engagement with this USACE permitting process, how is USACE going to get their approval to build it?
The planned cost of the project has shifted wildly – how can we be certain Enbridge has the funds to actually complete it? Have the risks of an abandoned incomplete project been assessed?
Why are there no alternatives which decommission the pipeline entirely and involve no tunnel?
Enbridge itself indicates that the tunnel will be a stranded asset by 2040, how can we possible entertain a 99 year permit?
There are large stretches, on the order of a mile, in the middle of straits which have not been test bored to the depth planned. How can this permit possibly be granted without the deepest part of the straits being tested?
Please extend the comment and review period. I need more time to read and assess.
Thank you.