Posted Draft EIS Comments

Permitting for Line 5

As a concerned citizen of the State of Michigan, I am asking you to deny the permits to Enbridge for a pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

As engineers, you would know how long this project would take. And in those probably 6 years or more, the affects on the environment and wildlife in the area would be devastating, which in turn harms the tourist industry in the surrounding areas. And that’s only as the tunnel is being built. According to a University of Michigan study, a spill from the pipeline would contaminate more that 700 miles of coastline, killing aquatic animals along the way.

I fail to see the logic of an oil pipeline under the second largest source (by volume) of fresh water IN THE WORLD. Why risk that? As reported by Great Lakes Now (July 22, 2022), the latest earthquake under the Great Lakes was in 2019. How do you propose to stop earthquakes? And how do you propose to repair a tunnel that’s under water? Do you think logically it wouldn’t affect a tunnel? Logically, the Titanic wouldn’t sink either.

Over the lifetime of the Line 5 pipeline, there has been more that a million gallons spilled (insideclimatenews.org). Does that sound like a responsible company to you? The lease is up. It’s time for Enbridge to build their pipeline through Canada.

Dear Army Corps of Engineers:

The building of a tunnel to protect the old and dangerous line 5 pipeline is a poor proposal. The likelihood of a line strike is already a horrible threat for the health of the entire Great Lakes which contain a large percentage of the world’s fresh water. The building of the tunnel itself makes that threat even more of a possibility. Then there is the risk of a spill of drilling fluids into our beloved lakes. The loss of wetlands and the possibility of sink holes are further problems.

The biggest problem with the proposal is that the most logical and safest alternative to building this tunnel is not even considered.
As a resident of Northern Michigan who cares about the health of the world, its water, and its people, I implore you to consider shutting down Line 5.

Sincerely,
Linda Larsen

See attached letter.

No pipeline should go through, under or across any of our sacred areas and fishing areas. Fishing and gathering is our sacred right.

There have already been leaks in the very pipeline we are addressing. The cradle “improvement” has not solve the problem of anchors, etc causing a hole in the transmission pipe.

Also, if a gas release takes place under that bridge, it will be devastating to the wildlife that live in the water and come into contact with the water. We must show extra cautions when making these decisions.

In addition, there are already suppliers in the UP. And I understand that Canada’s interest in providing the US with anything has dwindled since our current administration so ignorantly and wrongly insulted their wonderful people and culture.

No line 5!
Joy Annette Buza

I am opposed to fast tracking the Line 5 oil tunnel. This project, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac, has not undergone a comprehensive risk assessment and has been deemed unsafe by many experts who cite the potential for a catastrophic oil spill. The risky construction not only poses risks to the Great Lakes but to treaty protected sacred homelands of tribal nations and Indigenous communities, who have not been meaningfully consulted.
Fossil fuel dependency is contributing to both the environmental and public health crisis that we are now experiencing. We must act to reduce green house gas emissions in order to mitigate the effects climate change for current and future generations.

As a PhD scientist living and working in Michigan, I know that science and engineering do not exist in an objective vacuum – they are the product of human labor and thinking, and they intersect and affect human activity. Thus it is imperative that any action or project undergo robust critique and analysis prior to implementation, where inescapable human bias is deeply examined. The analysis done to date on the Line 5 tunnel is not sufficient to move forward with this project especially on the current timeline. Sponsoring such an enormous fossil fuel project that could have such negative consequences if failure occurs is without question not aligned with best practices for climate resilience. That the ‘official rationale’ to go forward with the project contradicts these best practices demonstrates a clear political motivation. Line 5 is not in the best interest of the needs and health of the citizens and tribes of the Great Lakes states who rely more on the water and lake resources than the oil that the line would provide. Engineering is supposed to be for the people, supporting their best interest. This project seems to be moving forward in violation of the basic tenets of engineering as it does so without consent or approval of the actual people affected by the project. Integrity is essential to any human scientific or engineering endeavor. I suggest that everyone working on pushing this project consider if they can say they are acting ethically and with integrity in carrying out the pipeline project against the consent of the affected communities. Slowing down the process and doing a comprehensive and climate-focused environmental analysis must happen before any action is done.

I am against the construction of the tunnel for Line 5 and I am against Line 5 running through the straits. The straits are a connection to the Great Lakes- one of the largest fresh water body’s on earth. Scientifically, economically, and culturally it does not make sense to have such dangerous contaminants to run through here. The draft EIS demonstrates and explains the potential risk to the public and environmental health from this construction. It mentions the use of additives that can contaminate the ground surface water just from lubricants the workers will be using to construct the tunnel. These contaminants will cause harm to drinking water supplies, fish, and recreations in the water, depending on the contaminants used. Michigan is already known to have the most PFAS contamination and the most underground storage tanks leaks in the US. Let’s not add more contaminates to our beautiful fresh waters all for convenience. The draft EIS has already demonstrated several risks to public health and environment. There are more cons than pros laid out in this draft and this should be taken into account.

The furtherance of any oil pipeline infrastructure under the Straits of Mackinac imperils our Great Lakes water resources, our shared history and identity as a State, Tribal sovereignty, and public health. Not to mention the climate concerns relating to the continual reliance on fossil fuels. Please value the science that has proven the clear and present risk to our most cherished water resource and deny the construction of this dangerous oil tunnel.