Posted Draft EIS Comments

I am a young person in the state of Michigan. Experts who have reviewed these plans know that there are huge concerns about Enbridge’s plans and the placement of the tunnel. It is complicated and not safe. Please think of the risks vs the rewards. Young people deserve to have clean water just as past generations have had. Do not jeopardize my future and the future of my children. That is not your right.

As a lifelong Midwesterner who has lived my entire life near the Great Lakes, I understand the beauty and dependence we have on these waters, and I also know how quickly and easily the Great Lakes can be ruined or destroyed. I know that an oil pipeline, with any chance of spilling, is too big of a risk for the Great Lakes. We must find another way than fossil fuels, we must seek to do no harm to native communities in the region, and we cannot sacrifice the financial benefits that come with clean water. A pipeline is not the answer for a better future for any of us and I strongly oppose the pipeline. Oil and water don’t mix.

I am opposed to approval of the Line 5 tunnel. It puts Michigan’s Great Lakes at great risk of irreversible pollution.

The proposed Line 5 would risk contamination from anticipated oil spills of the Great Lakes by harming environmental & economic opportunities. The Great Lakes supplies water to millions of people. DO NOT approve this accident waiting to happen.

there is a reasonable alternative to the line 5 project currently being pushed by Enbridge. Enbridge is only looking to save money for themselves in the construction of line 5 and is disregarding the long term consequences of the project as it stands. In the long term, line 5 will have to be shut down because it is bound to fail and will be too expensive to repair as prices never come down, but they always go up, exponentially. It is. seriously, a disaster waiting to happen, and thespill that will be produced will be the largest spill on the continent in history. We know this, it is a certainty, and it will happen, either because of structural failure, or accidental collision with any number of seaborn objects/vessels responsible and Enbridge’s lack of foresight and, quite frankly, cheapest approach possible to satisfy stockholder greed while adhering to the lowest environmental standards possible. Sincerely, Richard D. Smith

I am writing to express deep concern over the rushed environmental impact statement by the US Army Corp of Engineers with regard to the Line 5 tunnel project. I have been following this project and believe that it is misguided and problematic for the state of Michigan. For a project of this scale, it is absolutely critical that a thorough and comprehensive assessment is done — there is too much at risk to rush the process. The health of the Great Lakes, the largest source of freshwater in the world, should never be put at risk under the guise of an “energy emergency” that is not real. For people who know that facts, the true emergency is our warming planet and the need to move away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible. Additionally, the tunnel project is complicated, dangerous and technically challenging, and the proper time should be taken to evaluate the need for it before workers are subjected to dangerous conditions. Finally, the disregard of Indigenous treaties is very disappointing. The fact that corporate power and wealth is taking priority over honoring the people native to this land is hugely disappointing. Please pause all approvals until a full environmental review is complete. Thank you.

In attending an assessment of Endbridge products and life expectancy of their products I learned that the crude oil which is transported by Line 5 is dwindling in demand and by the time the tunnel is complete it could be obsolete. Based on this scenario alone the tunnel should not be constructed; the damage it poses to the ecosystem of the lake is too great. Life will be lost and other businesses will be harmed such as travel and fishing. The climate is changing and fossil fuels are one of the biggest contributors to our changing climate. There are safer ways for this product to be transported which Endbridge should take. Building the tunnel under the lakebed is a giant risk.

The easement for Line 5 is way past its original agreement. The treaty to the use of the land and waterways has expired and the Tribes have requested the oil line be removed and no permission has been given to build a tunnel. It’s time – think of this pipeline being in your own backyard. The company who owns it isn’t even a utility company. It is a private industry making a profit on the risk of using your land and have shown they won’t even fess up to problems. No, they will deny it like they did in Kalamazoo in 2015 when the pipeline leaked for 17 hours, dumped Tar Sand Oil, and destroyed life. It caused a huge environmental issue. 

The pipeline and tunnel is a major risk to our health and wellbeing. The lakebed is unknown and drilling below it poses a great threat to the watershed; which is one of the largest freshwater sources for the United States (90%) and the world (20%). All life needs fresh water, there is no getting around it and all precautions should be taken to preserve fresh water. The risk of contamination is too great. It is high time greater priority should be placed on preserving clean water not destroying it for one company’s profit.  

Please Reject a Rushed Approval, there is too much at risk.

The Straits area Sportsmen’s Club is an environmental conservation organization. We are in favor of the line 5 tunnel, energy is very important to us citizens of the eastern upper Peninsula. Whether it be to heat our house with Propane or fuel our cars it is a necessity.

Gary V Gorniak President,
Straits Area Sportsmen’s Club