Supplemental Draft EIS Comments

I seriously doubt that this latest bait-and-switch proposal is any safer for the environment and our precious Strait waters than the tunnel was. Enbridge has a history of leaking drilling fluid with other drilling misadventures. Why would this be any different? Please, for the sake of all who rely on safe pristine waters and shorelines, do NOT fall for this unsafe, unnecessary risky venture.

This projects should be halted and the current/ old line sealed permanently. There is not a sufficient long term benefit to MI and far too much risk. It also disrespects treaty rights.

Enbridge's recent revised application to use a method of Horizontal Directional Drilling does not give assurance of the safety and reliability of their proposed project. Previous geological studies have cited the instability of the rock structures involved. While the method of horizontal drilling would remove less material than the tunnel, it would still be a great amount of material to be removed, transported and disposed, with all the attendant environmental risks. The assembly of a 4-mile-long tube on land would require a substantial area of land for its assembly work.
And all this to support an obsolete technology of fossil fuel usage and transport. Economically, Line 5 is not needed: Enbridge's own study revealed in a previous legal discovery process that the price of consumer gasoline would rise only about one-half cent per gallon. We routinely absorb much larger price fluctuations.
The easement for Line 5 was created under very different economic circumstances and understandings of environmental concerns. The line should be decommissioned and the project abandoned.

I am appalled by the possibility of Enbridge slicing down a 39' swath of land either north or south of the Straits. As a property owner in Mackinaw City, I am especially disturbed by this destruction of land that I use on a very regular basis, such as the spectacular May Trails and Headlands. It's not clear to me how such a plan could even be considered. The impact on animals, such as bear, deer, fox, etc. etc. will be huge. They will have no where to go. The loss of rare natural orchids, such as Lady Slipper, and plants like Trillium is unfathomable. And that doesn't even begin to consider the noise and air pollution. for me and my family, this is a devastating solution.

Here is my two cents and I sure hope it counts for a lot more than that. It seems to me (a nurse with no knowledge of how to rectify this terrible idea) that Enbridge is pulling a stall tactic called “delay, delay, delay”. And if this new option, horizontal directional drilling, is allowed, why would Michigan want a 99 year lease when we are around the corner to less reliance on fossil fuels? The projected cost of $500 million may be a moot point now but what will this new option cost? And what cost to Michigan in the long run? What will be the cost associated with the removal of the muck/spoil and..where will it be deposited? Not in our country! And what of the cost of lost shipping for the 3-5 year timeline?
Another idea is; why is this being discussed at the 11th hour? Really? It smells “back room deal” to me. And I did not see evidence or a talking point about what new technological advances there were. Who studied this? Look at the disaster with this same idea that occurred in Line 3 in Minnesota. How did that work out? Oh that’s right, now the new advances in technology.. and what really makes this design better than the twin pipes we have now?
If Line 5 is so dangerous, now we all know that Enbridge came up with any scheme only because they were called out about the dangers of the line, otherwise they would have not even considered any changes to Line 5, period.
So, knowing that Line 5 appears to be a time bomb, shut it down and put a stop to what environmentalists would say is a non-starter. Michigan and the surrounding states depend on your ability to make safe and secure decisions. So, say “no” and shut Line 5 down now.

To all parties of concern:

I oppose any authorization that would allow Enbridge to construct a tunnel on and through publicly owned lands, including the property identified in HDD Sub Alternative 1 (South), Headlands International Dark Sky Park (The Headlands). The Headlands is protected by a conservation easement placed on the property on May 6, 1996, by the Village of Mackinaw City, by a legal agreement with Little Traverse Conservancy Conservation Trust, Inc. (LTC).
The Headlands’ conservation easement was intended to protect the land from future development and preserve it in perpetuity for recreation, wildlife habitat, and nature studies. This land purchase was made possible by substantial public funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and with multiple private donations. The protections placed on the land legally and ethically prohibit industrial use of the property, including construction associated with a pipeline for the tunnel.

The people committed to preserving this land for its ecological integrity, natural shoreline, wildlife habitat, unique dark-sky characteristics, and public recreational value. In addition to the conservation easement, the property is designated as an International Dark Sky Place and is subject to annual reporting to maintain that designation. The park is an economic driver. Enthusiasts of the night sky visit from around the country and world as a tranquil destination for viewing the Aurora Borealis and the Milky Way. The property is further protected by restrictive lighting and land-use ordinances placed by Emmet County.

The collaborative interest and investment by the State of Michigan, Emmet County, Village of Mackinaw City, Little Traverse Conservancy Trust, Dark Sky International, McCormick Foundation, Harold C. Smith Foundation, and the taxpayers of Emmet County should be sufficient to ensure that The Headlands remain in a natural and undisturbed state, protected for future generations.

Allowing timber clearing, noise pollution exceeding decibel levels for tranquility, soil compaction, vegetation removal, aesthetic damage, noise, vibration, and socioeconomic threat to livelihoods for employees of the park and wildlife who live there, and other cumulative impacts and tunnel construction on The Headlands property for ANY duration (which is extremely ambiguous in this report, and could, conservatively, span anywhere from 2-6 years) would undermine decades of public investment and conservation planning. Violation of this easement sets a dangerous precedent that conservation lands protected by Little Traverse Conservancy or purchased through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund could later be subordinated to private industrial interests, despite the public’s clear expectation of perpetual protection.

Disturbance here threatens sensitive ecosystems and disrupts human recreational use of the land, far beyond The Headlands. The proposed four-mile construction route severs the entirety of the Headlands hiking and cross-country ski trail system and transects numerous hiking and backpacking routes, including Old Orchard Trail, Ridgeline Trail, Frog Pond Trail, Deer Run Trail, May Woods trail system, Tip of the Mitt Trail, and the North Country Trail.

The proposed construction path appears to run directly along, or through, the Northwestern Michigan Trail and snowmobile trail, and across the entry road for the entire Headlands property. Construction restricts access to the trail system by crossing all arterial routes of entry to the park. No matter which option is selected, the neighboring McGulpin Point property, also owned and operated by the people of Emmet County, will be so grossly disrupted at ground zero for the Line 5 tunnel project that it may need to be closed for the duration of construction and beyond.

Disrupting The Headlands and McGulpin Point Emmet County Parks complex presents a threat to careers of full-time and seasonal employees, potentially facing permanent reduction, as well as the taxpayers who purchased and developed this site for recreational use because of its historical, cultural, and indigenous significance, and its ability to serve as an economic driver for regional tourism.

While all of the collateral impacts above are highly undesirable, USACE must recognize that Enbridge cannot lawfully construct the proposed Line 5 tunnel through The Headlands or any other public conservation-easement lands. Alternative 1 violates the law and public interest, and is, therefore, not viable.

For all of the reasons above, I respectfully request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remove HDD Installation Sub-Alternative 1 (South) from any future consideration. USACE must instead uphold federal environmental review standards, the public-trust doctrine, and the original conservation purpose for which these lands were entrusted to the people of Michigan.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Sincerely,
Jamie Westfall

127 N C St.
Cheboygan, Michigan 49721
(616)334-5309

yes to tunnel for monitoring purposes and double-wall type arrangement. No to horizontal boring.

The comment I make is that the Straits of Mackinaw are special for many reasons, and they have been communicated to you numerous times. The waters are a precious treasure to all folks. Proposed Oil lines anywhere, anyhow, anyway through the waters of the Great Lakes is an environmental hazard resulting in inevitable disruption and destruction the land beneath and the waters around. As educated decision makers, there is no reason to ignore the data that has been presented as to why there should not be oil lines, especially by Enbridge. They have a track record of pollution. Money can't fix the problems they have already caused. When our earth is scared
by such human activity, there is no way to fix it. Don't mess with what nature we still have. Our responsibility is to protect what we have and be wise enough to not ruin it because of greed. Money can't buy our treasure. When you know oil isn't going to be what humans are going to use in the future for maintaining our lifestyle on this planet. You must recognize Enbridge's greed for money to be made by oil in the Great Lakes is not justified. Be responsible for our future. The idea that the new option should now be considered is just another greedy tactic. Just say no.

I strongly oppose the construction activities proposed in the draft EIS. The plans clearly show a complete removal of the rare lakeside fen habitat that currently occupies Pointe LaBarbe and will result in the destruction of valuable populations of plants in Michigan, especially the Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris), which is the state wildflower of Michigan and is listed as Endangered in the state. The EIS states that the activities will have No Impact on the populations of Dwarf Lake Iris, but that is not true. Even if operators coordinate with USFWS and MDNR to mitigate effects, there are such few populations of this plant left in the wild in Michigan that the loss of any habitat will have direct consequences on the long-term viability of local populations. Simple translocation to places with other Dwarf Lake Irises is insufficient to reverse the impacts of these activities. There is also an irreversible impact to the public's abilities to visit this species, as the Boulevard Dr is one of the few publicly accessible roads from which people can recreationally see Dwarf Lake Iris. I oppose the proposed activities because they will irreversibly harm wild populations of Dwarf Lake Irises and irreversibly impact the public's abilities to visit this species from a public road. Although I recently moved to Connecticut, I was previously a Michigan resident for 6 years and very much benefitted from the recreational availability of Dwarf Lake Iris on Boulevard Dr.

As someone who lives in Northern Michigan and in the watershed of the great lakes, I care about Line 5 and what is being proposed. I am very concerned about the proposal to install a replacement pipeline under the Straits of Mackinaw. There is no stated benefit for Michigan or the other surrounding states and yet Embridge (who cannot be trusted based on previous records) continues to pursue sending a line though the Straights of Mackinaw, which is essential to our fresh water system. We need to shut down Line 5, pure and simple!!