Supplemental Draft EIS Comments

I care deeply about preserving the ecological health of the Straits of Mackinaw and the great lakes. I think that the risk of the proposed Line 5 pipeline outweighs the benefits. The building of the pipeline alone will have a negative impact on the environment. Enbridge does not have a great track record as far as line failures (witness the Kalamazoo River disaster) and I do not think this company should be trusted with building a new pipeline tunnel across the Straits of Mackinaw. Even a small line leak would be a disaster. Why risk it? Thank you.

I urge you to reject the last minute "bait and switch" proposal for a directional drilling tunnel for Line 5 under the Straits. This is absolutely bonkers to propose this at the last minute, with such a short public comment period. There is no reason to believe this would be safe. Enbridge has a horrendous record of pipeline and drilling safety. I've read that an area of 4 miles at the edge of the Straits will be required to assemble this monstrosity. That will permanently damage so much critical habitat and recreational property. Even if this proposal made sense, there is still the issue of the other 640 miles of the pipeline which will continue to go through wetlands and streams throughout Michigan. There is no reason that Michiganders should bear the risk for a Canadian company transporting a Canadian product to Sarnia. There is a feasible alternative. Shut down Line 5 as soon as possible.

Second submission due to 1000 word limitation.
I am really beginning to question whether other viable alternatives to a pipeline through the Straits have been seriously considered. This latest suggestion of destroying so much forest land that is integral to the character of Mackinaw City is thoughtless and insensitive. I am completely opposed to it. Moreover, no mention has been made of a similar method that would involve building and inserting the pipeline a few feet at a time, which could be accomplished within the footprint of land already owned by Enbridge. If you were truly serious about this alternative we’d have seen this idea. This makes the whole introduction of this concept feel like a “head fake” to cover up something else that you don’t want anyone to look at. It’s is too preposterous to even imagine this kind of destruction of old growth forest and wildlife habitat and Enbridge had to expect huge pushback.

We own property less than 1000 feet from the worksite west of Mackinaw City. My biggest concern is noise and vibration from the work and the heavy equipment and trucks that will be needed. We spend most of our time outdoors for half the year, and a significant portion of our time outdoors even when it is cold outside. We sleep outdoors in a screened room more than half the year. We love the quiet of the area that allows us to hear birds and other wildlife around our cabin. And we love to hear the gentle lapping of the lake in the Straits. I am very worried about the constant rumble of machinery and the incessant “beep, beep, beep, beep” of trucks at all hours of the day and night for YEARS. This disallows our enjoyment of the peace and quiet that we paid a premium price to have. The mitigations I have seen are completely insufficient. I would like to see sound barriers, limited work days and hours, and an acknowledgment of the harm inflicted by constant noise.

I am concerned with the risk to water safety and quality that will likely be jeopardized with the installation of this pipeline. As time goes on access to cheap and safe water becomes slimmer with the degradation of our planet and the rise of AI. I urge you to heavily scrutinize the proposed pipeline and to make the best possible decision for both Michiganders and our environment.

This pipeline should not be allowed. Remove the old one immediately and do not build the new one. The risk is way too big. Any failure could result in the contamination and destruction of precious and essential ecosystems in multiple Great Lakes. Instead of investing in making a foreign company richer at our expense and taking all the risk ourselves, let's put that money towards public transit, more housing, trains, alternative energy production. There are so many things that would be more valuable and productive.

ALL OF THE ABOVE THE HEALTH OF THE GREAT STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPENDS ON OUR LAKES

How would we survive without the fresh water from the Great Lakes if you cause massive oil pollution?
I have lived aboard a sailboat through the majority of the Great Lakes, Erie Canal, Chesapeake Bay, Inner Coastal Waterways, the rivers and canals that lead from
Michigan to the Gulf Coast of Mexico, The Bahamas etc. I cannot stress the need to care for and protect our water and it’s ecosystems enough. Our need for oil will never be as important as our need for water and healthy land.
After participating in the nation wide Sun Day celebration this past September 21st, I have learned how greatly we could change our world by embracing solar energy instead of the horrors of oil to help run our world.
Please, for the future of my children, for all of the children’s futures, do not proceed with this extremely dangerous project.

Enbridge is notorious for shoddy upkeep on its pipelines—its monitoring leaves much to be desired. The Canadian Federal Court denied permission for the company's Northern Gateway Pipeline because of concern for environmental issues which the company did not address. These same issues are at play here. I strongly oppose the installation of a pipeline under the bed of the Straits of Mackinaw.