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. Many tunnel experts who have reviewed Enbridge’s plans share concerns for the logistics of placing a tunnel under the lakebed, considering it to be complicated, dangerous, and technically challenging. Experts also share concerns for the workers who are subjected to the dangerous pipeline construction and operations. 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.
The supposed “energy emergency” used to justify fast-tracking this project is false and politically motivated, and should not override public safety and environmental protections. 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. Targeting resources on renewable energy projects is much more prudent and better aligned with international climate mitigating goals.
Furthermore, Tribal nations and Indigenous communities have not been meaningfully consulted. Their rights, treaties, and voices must be honored.
Thank you for considering my comments.
In addition, I can find no contact information in order to alert the Army Corps about this discrepancy .. other than to submit it here as a comment on their Draft EIS.
If, in the past, Public Notices have been sent to subscribers of the email-notification list, then those past notices should, for the record, be shown on the “Subscribe” webpage:
https://www.line5tunneleis.com/subscription/
P.S. Please let me know when that webpage has been fixed.
Many tunnel experts who have reviewed Enbridge’s plans share concerns for the logistics of placing a tunnel under the lake bed, considering it to be complicated, dangerous, and technically challenging. Experts also share concerns for the workers who are subjected to the dangerous pipeline construction and operations.
The supposed “energy emergency” used to justify fast-tracking this project is false and politically motivated, and should not override public safety and environmental protections.
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.
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.
Many tunnel experts who have reviewed Enbridge’s plans share concerns for the logistics of placing a tunnel under the lakebed, considering it to be complicated, dangerous, and technically challenging. Experts also share concerns for the workers who are subjected to the dangerous pipeline construction and operations.
The supposed “energy emergency” used to justify fast-tracking this project is False and politically motivated, and should NOT override public safety and environmental protections.
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.
As a citizen who has been following this project for a long time, the fact is that the risk of a pipeline in the straits is far too big to even have a pipeline. Enbridge officials have other ways to get oil, which is a dying industry because there will not be enough fossil fuels to keep expanding on. They cost Michiganders billions with the kalamazoo river spill, which I have family that lived in the area. We saw how little enbridge helped there and even practically exploited people to take resources in a time of need and emergency in lieu of suing the corporation. The corporation has more power than citizens because our own government won’t protect us, our lands, or our water. Oil spills kill wildlife, plants, and our ecosystem that we rely on to live. Enbridge gives us nothing we need to live.
I can only imagine the ugliness of the construction and how that will affect the beauty of the area we rely on to draw in tourists from around the world. I see what the Soo Locks looks like with the cranes, and the workers taking up all the tourists’ and locals’ parking. These workers have no loyalty to our town, and when they Keene so will the money they spend here. Business owners have been fooled to think that these workers will stay with their money and plan for them long term. All they have done is taken housing away from the local population that is desperately needed, and created even less of a community environment.
Enbridge is only worried about profits because they don’t live here either. They will bring in the same type of workforce and not rely on locals because our locals have not been trained. This will be in a heavier tourist area with also a lack in housing.
The Army Corps has released an impact report that really says to me this pipeline should be shut down, and the little bit of money the government would see will be far outweighed by the amount that it will spend in cleanup, Healthcare, and loss of revenue or even life, if a spill happens. The amount of damage to the bottomlands and it water ecosystem will be existential even with just construction.
There are a million reasons to not continue the pipeline, but there is only one reason that supports it- corporate greed. The lies they spread in their commercials that they air to the local public should tell us everything. If they aren’t saying the same thing on the stand under oath in court, they shouldn’t be able to put it on the radio to “sell” their project. They’ll do the same shady practices while in operation and definitely after a spill.
I don’t need to collect all this data to support my opinion as a citizen because I know the Army Corps has it. Expecting citizens to go over and beyond to protect our backyard when our government should be able to do that for us, and has the information to back up everything i am sharing here, is oppressive and exploitative of our people and home.
The indigenous people of this land also have Treaty rights that do not allow for this pipeline in our water. Water is life. Without water we will die. Other parts of our country are relying on our Great Lake’s water, not just the people who live near the straits or along the shores. Not to mention how will all the projects the current federal administration is looking at pursuing around the watershed of the Great Lakes together will have an impact. With mining off lake superior, oil tunnels in the straits, garbage stored and seeping into our lower peninsula water table, nestle draining lake Michigan, factories all along the shores, and the freighter traffic still going all through bringing invasive species and should themselves.
We don’t need one more thing threatening our lives up here. We need Enbridge shut down in the Great Lakes. We need to move away from oil and lines to carry it. We need to find more sustainable practices because as an almost 40 year old woman, they’ve told us oil will run out and these companies have to dilute it and refine it more and more just to use what is available. It’s a countdown. What will Enbridge do with the lines when they don’t need them any more? What if they go bankrupt and say, just like the clean ups, it’s our job and money as citizens to care for our land and water. They were just borrowing it.
Keep us safe, keep our water safe, and so exploitation of resources, people, land, water, and air for corporate greed and money politics. People Over Profits.