Name
James Costello
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 12:10 pm
Attachment
Comments
We need to move past fossil fuels. This project has a lot of baked in risk for very little return. Why are we still investing in old technology? Shut this down before we end up polluting one of the largest sources of freshwater on the planet. This is just monstrously stupid and fueled by corporate greed.
Name
Derek Meier
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:34 am
Attachment
Comments
If there is any amount of risk of harm to any of the waters of the great lakes, no project should be pursued as water is literally LIFE. And this water represents life in a fullness beyond sustaining the life of humans and animals, it is also a celebrated by tourists and Michiganders through so many activities that make life joyful. Oil is a wonderful gift, and it should be harnessed and used wisely. But it should be kept far away as a RULE from fresh water sources. Please do not dig a tunnel under the great lakes, please do not use another pipeline through the great lakes. Please make every effort to make a new route. The price of gas is elastic, and there is no price on Fresh Water. We can survive without oil and gas, we can not survive without water. So water must be protected at ALL COSTS. AT Every Expense. Not only shall it be protected, it should be enhanced and restricted to uses that support life.
Any oil movement either by tunnel or pipeline on, under, in or around the Great Lakes would be counted as one of the greatest errors of this generation. Please Make NO MISTAKE and do Make every Effort Possible to protect these lakes from all threats of oil contamination. And keep oil far away from the lakes. And thank you to the oil business for listening, and for keeping the country rolling. I appreciate the oil business and I appreciate the great lakes, and I pray they stay far away from each other.
Any oil movement either by tunnel or pipeline on, under, in or around the Great Lakes would be counted as one of the greatest errors of this generation. Please Make NO MISTAKE and do Make every Effort Possible to protect these lakes from all threats of oil contamination. And keep oil far away from the lakes. And thank you to the oil business for listening, and for keeping the country rolling. I appreciate the oil business and I appreciate the great lakes, and I pray they stay far away from each other.
Name
Megan Grahn
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:24 am
Attachment
Comments
As a lifelong Michigander, I must say my piece on Line 5. Right now, we are all bound together by a critical point in time, facing universal threats ranging from an overarching overheating atmosphere to biodiversity loss and pesticide poisoning--all of which are at an increased risk with Line 5.
At this point in time, with so much of our precious land, air, and water at stake already, we simply cannot allow the risks of the potential threats Line 5 poses to one of our greatest natural resources(84% of North America's surface fresh water and more than 20% of the world's supply of surface fresh water). Not only does Line 5 threaten the drinking water supply for 5 million Michigan residents, it also jeopardizes Michigan's economy, threatening our top tourist (and local) attractions, Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks, and Sleeping Bear Dunes. These are just a few of the natural treasures Michigan has to offer, which we cannot replace if anything were to happen, a likely possibility as Line 5 is located in a busy shipping channel. In fact, the University of Michigan speculates that an oil spill in the Straits could pollute more than 700 miles of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron's shorelines.
To be blunt, Line 5 does not benefit the people or the planet. Some people believe Line 5 is a vital fuel source, but those people are neglecting to see the greater facts. About 95% of the product in Line 5 goes to Sarnia, Canada. Much of that continues flowing via the Line 9 pipeline to Montreal refineries. This means Line 5 only provides propane to roughly 12,000 homes and businesses in the central U.P., and other propane sources and providers already exist. Only 0.25% of the product in Line 5 is offloaded in the U.P. as propane. The U.P. Energy Task Force found several options other than Line 5 with comparable costs. Concerning Line 5's threats to our environment, if an oil spill were to occur, there is not sufficient planning in place to guarantee the spill would be removed or recovered. Even if Line 5 were monitored 24/7, these precautions would not be enough to protect our people, land, or water against contamination. Just outside of the Straits, Line 5 has failed at least 33 times since 1968. This means Line 5 is risking, quite literally, the world as a way to make a quick buck. At this point, we need to invest in cleaner, smarter, greener energy with less threats to our environment and our people.
The stakes are too high at this time to risk such a project with quite literally no benefits to anyone or anything aside from fossil fuel corporations. We are far past the point in our history to be making such greedy, dangerous, and life-threatening decisions. As a lifelong Michigan resident, I love my state and I do not want to lose everything is has to offer. It is high time we set our priorities straight--protecting our people and our land needs to take precedence over everything, especially greed.
At this point in time, with so much of our precious land, air, and water at stake already, we simply cannot allow the risks of the potential threats Line 5 poses to one of our greatest natural resources(84% of North America's surface fresh water and more than 20% of the world's supply of surface fresh water). Not only does Line 5 threaten the drinking water supply for 5 million Michigan residents, it also jeopardizes Michigan's economy, threatening our top tourist (and local) attractions, Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks, and Sleeping Bear Dunes. These are just a few of the natural treasures Michigan has to offer, which we cannot replace if anything were to happen, a likely possibility as Line 5 is located in a busy shipping channel. In fact, the University of Michigan speculates that an oil spill in the Straits could pollute more than 700 miles of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron's shorelines.
To be blunt, Line 5 does not benefit the people or the planet. Some people believe Line 5 is a vital fuel source, but those people are neglecting to see the greater facts. About 95% of the product in Line 5 goes to Sarnia, Canada. Much of that continues flowing via the Line 9 pipeline to Montreal refineries. This means Line 5 only provides propane to roughly 12,000 homes and businesses in the central U.P., and other propane sources and providers already exist. Only 0.25% of the product in Line 5 is offloaded in the U.P. as propane. The U.P. Energy Task Force found several options other than Line 5 with comparable costs. Concerning Line 5's threats to our environment, if an oil spill were to occur, there is not sufficient planning in place to guarantee the spill would be removed or recovered. Even if Line 5 were monitored 24/7, these precautions would not be enough to protect our people, land, or water against contamination. Just outside of the Straits, Line 5 has failed at least 33 times since 1968. This means Line 5 is risking, quite literally, the world as a way to make a quick buck. At this point, we need to invest in cleaner, smarter, greener energy with less threats to our environment and our people.
The stakes are too high at this time to risk such a project with quite literally no benefits to anyone or anything aside from fossil fuel corporations. We are far past the point in our history to be making such greedy, dangerous, and life-threatening decisions. As a lifelong Michigan resident, I love my state and I do not want to lose everything is has to offer. It is high time we set our priorities straight--protecting our people and our land needs to take precedence over everything, especially greed.
Name
Fred Kasten
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:15 am
Attachment
Comments
The proposed tunnel will eliminate the small chance of a pipeline break and a spill into the great lakes, so I am strongly in support of it.
Name
Chris Hosking
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:14 am
Attachment
Comments
pumping hazardous materials through a pipe underwater is a bad idea, especially with freshwater because it puts drinking water at risk and creates a need for bottled water which turns water from a right to a privilege.
Name
John Secord
Organization/Affiliation
Operator engineers 324
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:08 am
Attachment
Comments
We need this tunnel now longer we wait the higher the chance of somthing happening, BUILD THE GREAT LAKES TUNNEL FOR THE SAFETY OF ARE LAKES, in my opinion anyone stopping this from being completed is not a environmentalists they are anti environment
Name
Jared Hautamaki
Organization/Affiliation
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, EPA/White House Council on Native American Affairs, Superior Trees, LLC.
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:03 am
Attachment
Comments
I am a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a former EPA enforcement attorney that worked in the Emergency Operations Center as Situation Unit Leader during the Deepwater Horizon OIl Spill Response and current EPA Tribal Policy Advisor. I am currently on detail to the White House Council on Native American Affairs leading efforts to implement the Sacred Sites and Treaty and Reserved Rights Memorandums of Understanding. I am also a small business owner in the Upper Penninsula, operating a tree farm in Eben Junction, MI.
The federal government does not have the resources in place in the Great Lakes to respond to a worst case scenario oil spill that Enbridge may cause. Enbridge has a track record in Michigan, causing a $1 billion oil spill response in the Kalamazoo River. Enbridge has shown, repeatedly, that they cannot be trusted to comply with the law in operating their existing pipeline. Anchor strikes and degradation of the anticorrosion systems have gone unreported.
It is the federal government's obligation to uphold our treaty rights. That means preserving and protecting the Great Lakes from potential threats from development. The Constitution states that tribal treaties are part of the "supreme law of the land" and merit consideration early in federal decisionmaking. The Department of Defense, as a signatory to the Treaty and Reserved Rights MOU committed to consulting with tribes early in the decisionmaking process. I am not aware that the US ACE has engaged in tribal consultation with potentially affected tribes prior to issuing this EIS.
The threat to treaty rights holders from an oil spill from this tunnel and from this pipeline generally, as well as the risk to Michigan tourism and American taxpayers is simply not worth the benefit. Alternative pipelines. owned by Enbridge, exist which negate the need for this additional pipeline. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, and Detroit's auto companies commitments to moving towards electric vehicles further negate the need for an additional petroleum pipeline.
It is simply not worth the risk. The cost benefits analysis does not weigh in favor of allowing an increased risk to taxpayers, the Great Lakes economy, the environment and treaty rights holders over benefitting a foreign corporation and their shareholders.
I urge you to reject the permit for this pipeline.
The federal government does not have the resources in place in the Great Lakes to respond to a worst case scenario oil spill that Enbridge may cause. Enbridge has a track record in Michigan, causing a $1 billion oil spill response in the Kalamazoo River. Enbridge has shown, repeatedly, that they cannot be trusted to comply with the law in operating their existing pipeline. Anchor strikes and degradation of the anticorrosion systems have gone unreported.
It is the federal government's obligation to uphold our treaty rights. That means preserving and protecting the Great Lakes from potential threats from development. The Constitution states that tribal treaties are part of the "supreme law of the land" and merit consideration early in federal decisionmaking. The Department of Defense, as a signatory to the Treaty and Reserved Rights MOU committed to consulting with tribes early in the decisionmaking process. I am not aware that the US ACE has engaged in tribal consultation with potentially affected tribes prior to issuing this EIS.
The threat to treaty rights holders from an oil spill from this tunnel and from this pipeline generally, as well as the risk to Michigan tourism and American taxpayers is simply not worth the benefit. Alternative pipelines. owned by Enbridge, exist which negate the need for this additional pipeline. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, and Detroit's auto companies commitments to moving towards electric vehicles further negate the need for an additional petroleum pipeline.
It is simply not worth the risk. The cost benefits analysis does not weigh in favor of allowing an increased risk to taxpayers, the Great Lakes economy, the environment and treaty rights holders over benefitting a foreign corporation and their shareholders.
I urge you to reject the permit for this pipeline.
Name
Connor Israelson
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 11:00 am
Attachment
Comments
Line 5 (or any oil pipelines traveling near or under the Great Lakes) should never be constructed or operated. Potable fresh water is increasingly becoming one of the worlds most sacred resources and is not easily replaceable. the oil piping industry has a history of negligence and loose safety standards and shows no sign of improving. In the last few decades millions of gallons of oil and other hazardous liquids have been spilled Into our environment, causing irreparable damage. Even high profile spills such as the deepwater horizon spill did not lead to significant regulation improvements or effective cleanup efforts. Enbridge in particular has a poor history of hazardous liquid containment. since 2002 Enbridge has had more than 300 hazardous liquid incidents, spilling more than 2.8 million gallons of hazardous liquid into the environment. many of these were caused by their failure to adhere to government safety regulations or other negligent actions. Their history of safety negligence would put at risk some of the worlds largest bodies of fresh water and biodiversity and any possible benefits would be far outweighed by the risk to our environment. The damage that would be caused by this line would not be repairable and would leave a far worse world for our children.
Name
Bo Hall
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 10:55 am
Attachment
Comments
Line 5 needs to be completely shut down for the safety of the Great Lakes.
Enbridge's pattern of negligence is unmistakable. They are responsible for the largest and costliest inland oil spill in American history (the Line 6b rupture back in 2010) which took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up. Enbridge was well aware of defects in Line 6b and chose not to further inspect or repair it. That disaster was just the Kalamazoo River. Imagine the absolute devastation to the Great Lakes and Michigan's economy if the same thing happened to Line 5. Enbridge's track record indicates that it's a matter of when, not if.
Enbridge's pattern of negligence is unmistakable. They are responsible for the largest and costliest inland oil spill in American history (the Line 6b rupture back in 2010) which took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up. Enbridge was well aware of defects in Line 6b and chose not to further inspect or repair it. That disaster was just the Kalamazoo River. Imagine the absolute devastation to the Great Lakes and Michigan's economy if the same thing happened to Line 5. Enbridge's track record indicates that it's a matter of when, not if.
Name
Kiersten Anonymous
Organization/Affiliation
Entry Date
August 16, 2022 10:48 am
Attachment
Comments
I am against Line 5 due to the potential for a disastrous spill. No amount of profit or convenience justifies this threat to our Great Lakes. The Great Lakes truly are our greatest resource and oil contamination would damage ecosystems and economies. Recreational use of the Great Lakes is a right of all citizens and Line 5 threatens that right. It also threatens the industries and tourist economies in Michigan and nearby states. As a state, we do not have a strong history of adequately maintaining such projects and as a citizen I do not have high hopes that Line 5 would be maintained to a safe level either—not to mention freak accidents that could cause a spill. Please do not follow through with Line 5.