1. Line 5 was built in 1953 with an expected safe life of 50 years. It is 22 years past the date and the aging structure is not safe.
2. Enbridge Line 5 has had 33 documented leaks since 1968 and has spilled over 1.1 million gallons of oil and gas onto Michigan lands and water. Enbridge was responsible for the Line 6B spill in 2010 into the Kalamazoo River, which was the worst inland oil spill in US history. Embridge has continuously violated Michigan agreements regarding Safety. The governor and attorney general in Michigan has called for the decommissioning of Line 5 and has revoked the 1957 easement. Enbridge continues to operate in violation of the agreements and easements.
3. Enbridge is violating Indigenous Treaties in Michigan and continues to operate in violation of their rights.
4. Due to the strong and changing currents in the Great Lakes, the Straits of Mackinaw is the worst possible place for an an oil spill, which could affect over 700 miles of Great Lakes Shoreline and would take decades to remediate.
5. The cost of the project, the noise, asthetic and environmental impacts and impacts on wildlife and tourism is not worth the small amount Michiganders are receiving in oil and gas from the pipeline. The vast majority of the oil goes to Canada and other places. There are more climate friendly alternatives that can make up the difference.
6. The proposed tunnel is not fail safe and an explosion or leak in the tunnel at the Straits would be catastrophic, affecting not only millions of Michiganders who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, tourism, our culture andnour way of life, but everyone in the Great Lakes Basin and beyond. The Great Lakes represent roughly 20 percent of the fresh water in the world and about 84% of fresh water in the United States. It simply is not worth the risk. The only safe option is to decommission Line 5 and remove the lines altogether.
Please provide more time to read your 1000+ page EIS on the proposed Enbridge Line 5 tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac. It is imperative that you give an extension to allow more time for public comment. I have been actively engaged in studying, learning and understanding the inner workings of the Line 5 Tunnel and I’m continuously disturbed at how detrimental the impact would be on our beautiful freshwaters if construction of this tunnel continues. I have witnessed thousands of people coming together to raise awareness around how harmful Line 5 is/will be to our fresh waters. I could spend my time trying to prove this point with hard facts and research, but if you actually took a moment to listen to those who have been actively speaking up about this issue far longer than I have, you would see that there is already ample evidence from a myriad of communities who have done EXTENSIVE research on the disturbing history of the Line 5 Tunnel. These people have unified in protecting the Great Lakes and surrounding
watersheds.
Instead, I’d like to speak from my heart.
I am a permanent resident of Michigan rooted in Detroit, but spent many of my summers, growing up next to Lake Michigan, and up in Lake Superior. The Great Lakes have provided so much joy, healing and peace for myself, and for the people that I love for decades. We cherish these waters. I’ve had dreams of bringing my future family to these lakes and passing down to the next generation, a legacy of caring for and praising Michigan’s most valuable resource. The Great Lakes inspire so many of us. They are often a place to hike, kayak, relax, regulate, connect with friends and family, fish and sail on. I visit these lakes at least a dozen times a year to cleanse my spirit and to ground me in an already chaotic world.
It would be an absolute devastation if these waters were contaminated with oil. And without extensive and careful review of this EIS, the risks of this devastation will skyrocket.
Please- we the public need more time to review. We are the ones who will be affected the most by a potential devastation. Please extend the time period for public comment.
And hey, if somebody is actually reading this, I want you to know that I wrote a portion of this while I was sitting in front of Lake Michigan at Esch Beach near Sleeping Bear Dunes. If you’ve actually spent time with the Great Lakes like I have, I think you would also do your best to protect the sacred nature and ecosystem of our beloved fresh coast. How could anyone want to risk destroying such beauty? It doesn’t make any sense to me. And I hope it doesn’t make any sense to you either. And perhaps maybe you’ll have a change of heart, and you’ll listen to the thousands of people who are saying the same thing I am.
Thanks for reading.
Comment is incomplete due to time restraints so please please provide the public with an extension.
-An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic for drinking water, wildlife, and Michigan’s economy. More than 1.3 million jobs, equating to $82 billion in wages, are directly tied to the Great Lakes.
-Approving this tunnel locks us into decades of fossil fuel dependency, exacerbating the climate and public health crises; it must be thoroughly assessed for its greenhouse gas emissions and health impacts before proceeding.
-Tribal nations and Indigenous communities have not been meaningfully consulted. Their rights, treaties, and voices must be honored.
To conclude, it would be a grave mistake for Michigan to allow the Line 5 Tunnel Project to be allowed to continue. Michigan does not need this project and should be investing in renewable energy that will support our state for centuries instead of decades. The chances of an oil spill in our greatest natural resource should not be ignored or taken lightly. The ramifications of an oil spill will harm millions of people that depend on the Great Lakes for their livelihood and simple living requirements (clean drinking water). Lately, we need to be doing everything we can to protect Michigan’s most precious natural resource. We are after all the Great Lakes State.