Furthermore, it is folly to assume that the Line 5 pipeline will not leak. Every company that has ever built a pipeline of this nature has insisted that the highest standards of safety will be followed and that there is no chance of any leak, just as Enbridge promises in their documents on the project… but every single time, inevitably, every pipeline leaks. According to a 2014 analysis by Dr. Richard Stover, more than 3 million gallons of oil have been spilled from pipeline failures in the U.S. since the late 1980s, and mitigation rarely does enough to actually clean up these spills, leaving the equivalent of over 31,000 barrels of oil unaddressed and toxifying our natural environment.
The Great Lakes region cannot afford the economic or the environmental impact of this proposed pipeline tunnel. I urge you to deny any further permitting that would allow Enbridge to proceed with this project.
As if destroying the planet wasn’t bad enough, we have also learned how the Oil Industry has lied to the public over and over again since the beginning. They promise to environmentally aware, but being only human, mistakes are made. Oil spills and oil leaks happen, destroying life and endangering our delicate ecosystem.
It’s bad enough that there’s already a pipeline under Lake Superior. It’s old and needs to be “put to pasture”, so to speak. Replacing it is NOT the answer. The cost alone is ridiculous, but the possibility of a leak or spill in that beautiful lake is a risk we should not take. People are only human, mistakes happen. Is it worth polluting Lake Superior to allow a company like Enbridge to complete its mission? Enbridge lies and covers up the facts. You have documentation of oil spills and the cost of cleanup – but the land that oil spills upon will never be returned to its original state. The life lost cannot be brought back.
In this age, when humankind has so much knowledge, so many other ways to achieve our power needs, why take this costly risk? I strongly urge you to deny Enbridge – or any other company – the right to transport fuel through our beautiful Lake Superior and also through the earth from Canada to its destination.
This is nothing new. An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic for drinking water, wildlife, and Michigan’s economy. Let’s listen to the tunnel experts who warn us that the logistics of placing a tunnel under the lakebed, are complicated, dangerous, and technically challenging. Well, that’s never stopped a determined political push before?! This time, we need to stop and think this through. Location, Location, Location. This is really the problem to be solved in another way than using the Great Lakes underwater ways as a throughway for petroleum products!
Hello? Do you realize we have a climate and public health crises going on in our local communities, and worldwide? Tribal nations and Indigenous communities have not been meaningfully consulted nor their treaties honored. We must use science and wisdom to calculate the project’s greenhouse gas emissions and the health impacts. Most importantly:
• The Line 5 tunnel project has not undergone a comprehensive risk assessment, which is crucial for a project that poses risks to the Great Lakes, our climate, and our future.
• I strongly oppose the USACE’s decision to fast-track the approval process. The USACE must do their duty to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment.
Most sincerely,
Ann Brainard and Robert Kruk
Holland, MI
I am not a scientist, but I do know that the Great Lakes contain 20% of all the surface freshwater IN THE WORLD.
They are an IRREPLACEABLE, TREMENDOUSLY VALUABLE RESOURCE.
We MUST protect this precious resource, which sustains human life and the natural world we depend on.
I am not persuaded that the so-called “energy emergency” exists.
Even if were true, it’s still not worth the risk to to rush to build.
We risk permanently damaging a tremendous, one-of-a-kind resource.
As a citizen of Michigan and the world, I demand an in-depth study of the need and the risks of building a tunnel for Line 5.
Do not start this project until we are certain that it is actually needed and will be as safe and secure as it possibly can be.
PROFIT SHOULD NOT BE THE MOTIVATION FOR BUILDING IT.
In addition, I strongly support the rights of sovereign indigenous nations to be consulted on Line 5. For thousands of years, indigenous people have lived on this land and stewarded our natural resources effectively. Let our current political and environmental leaders learn from their wisdom.
Sincerely,
Amy Harris
Ann Arbor, MI