Take Action

Add your name to these public comments to be submitted to MDEQ on June 29, 2017, by signing the petition to the right.

Enbridge is attempting once again to upgrade its dangerous Line 5 oil pipelines in the Mackinac Straits without any public hearing that would examine the condition of these outdated pipelines.

When they tried this eight months ago, Enbridge ran into a solid wall of public opposition. Recent revelations that their pipelines have unsupported spans that exceed the maximum length allowed means there is a heightened risk of metal fatigue and failure.

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Join us in asking the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) as part of its permit conditions to conduct a comprehensive review of Enbridge's Line 5 in the Straits before the company attempts to squeeze more life out of their aging pipelines.

Please note that submitting your public comment here has nothing to do with the Line 5 ballot proposal that is being circulated.

To the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality:

We are writing in reference to Enbridge’s joint application to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (“MDEQ”) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) (No. 2RD-DFDK-Y35G) to install 22 anchor supports on the Line 5 pipelines in the Mackinac Straits.

We urge the MDEQ to reject Enbridge’s application as incomplete and to hold a public hearing as provided in Section 32514 of the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act (“GLSLA”) and R 322.1017 (Rule 17), along with proper notice and additional time for public comment. The magnitude of public interest in Line 5 and the Great Lakes warrants a public hearing on this important matter.

Enbridge’s application is deficient for the following reasons:

  1. it fails to demonstrate the potential adverse harm from a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes;
  2. it fails to demonstrate feasible and prudent alternatives to Line 5, which include a range of alternatives related to Enbridge’s ongoing expansion of oil transport throughout the Great Lakes region;
  3. it fails to demonstrate compliance with the 1953 Easement with the State of Michigan and to evaluate Enbridge’s piecemeal expansion of Line 5; and
  4. additional information about the integrity of the entire submerged Line 5 infrastructure is critical to protecting the public’s paramount interests in the Great Lakes.

Under Michigan’s GLSLA, the MDEQ cannot grant approval of this permit unless the following standards are addressed: a) a determination that the environment will be minimally harmed and that those adverse impacts will be mitigated; and (b) there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the proposed activity that will protect the public health, safety and welfare. Enbridge’s application fails on both counts.

As an immediate emergency measure or condition of Enbridge’s application, MDEQ should suspend or reduce the transport of the rate of flow of crude oil through Line 5 in the Straits to immediately reduce the pressure and risk from the twin-pipelines in the Straits pending further proceedings; in the alternative, order the installation of anchors to reduce spans without supports below 140 feet pending further proceedings with the express condition that no assurance of any final permit under the application without a demonstration of compliance with state law.

Enbridge incorrectly claims its proposed patchwork response to Line 5’s major structural defects is “routine maintenance” when in reality the requested anchor supports will further the continued expansion of Line 5 and Line 6B in southern Michigan to largely transport Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and overseas markets.

Moreover, the recent disclosure of the Kiefner Report reveal that Enbridge has for years, perhaps decades, systematically violated the provision of the 1953 Easement with the State of Michigan that limits unsupported stretches of Line 5 to 75 feet for the pipeline’s structural integrity and longevity. This neglect coupled with the Straits powerful underwater currents likely has caused metal fatigue damage. This is particularly concerning since Line 5 currently transports 540,000 barrels per day (bbls) - 80 percent over its original design capacity.

With no reliable model to predict lakebed washouts due to the highly dynamic nature of currents in the Mackinac Straits, Enbridge cannot meet its legal duty under the state easement to prudently operate this pipeline.

The law is clear. The State of Michigan and MDEQ have “a perpetual duty . . . to secure to its people the prevention of pollution, impairment or destruction of its natural resources, and rights of navigation, fishing, hunting, and use of its lands and waters for other public purposes.” Therefore, the MDEQ must undertake a formal comprehensive review of impacts and alternatives associated with Enbridge’s entire Line 5 pipeline in the Straits and waters and bottomlands of the Great Lakes.

This duty is separate and independent from the Line 5 risk and alternative studies commissioned by the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board.

In sum, no final permit should be authorized until Enbridge has demonstrated the following: (1) Line 5 in the Straits is not likely to impair the protected public trust waters and uses in the Straits and beyond; (2) there exists no feasible and prudent alternative to Enbridge for Line 5 in the Straits within Enbridge’s overall capacity throughout its “Lakehead” or Great Lakes pipeline system; (3) it has provided additional information on the pipeline metal fatigue and heightened risk of failure; and (4) it is not violating the 1953 Easement with the State of Michigan.

 

 

This recently uncovered video from 2012 showing the condition of the Line 5 pipelines reveals long unsupported spans and other damage to the pipes. No amount of anchors will fix the shifting bottomlands of the Great Lakes, or repair the metal fatigue introduced by the decades-long unsupported spans. After you've seen the video, please SIGN THE PETITION.

 

2,680 SIGNATURES
Help Reach the Next Goal: 3,000 signatures

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Showing 2742 reactions

  • Mark Dragovich
    signed 2017-07-07 10:36:40 -0400
    The largest fresh water supply in the world, why do we insist on putting oil and profits before the well being of this great resource?
  • Dave Watson
    signed 2017-07-07 07:10:58 -0400
  • Kevin Williams
    signed 2017-07-07 04:20:46 -0400
  • Raymie Barry
    signed 2017-07-06 13:38:40 -0400
    I’ve lived most of my life on the Great Lakes and I take my family up there every year. The worse thing you can do is sacrifice such a beautiful place. You obviously care more about money than the welfare of the people and community. Think how much you are risking?!
  • Tanya Hawley
    signed 2017-07-06 12:19:28 -0400
  • Ruthanne Shanafelt
    signed 2017-07-06 09:38:43 -0400
    Please do not allow Enbridge leniency and exceptions that jeopardize the majesty and beauty of our beautiful, currently undamaged Great Lakes.
  • Ashley Steponski
    signed 2017-07-05 18:45:24 -0400
    We only have one opportunity to protect our Great Lakes. Please listen to the voices of Michigan residents and for those who are still learning about this issue. We have seen how this has played out with the Dakota Access Pipeline and the two spills that have occurred. It’s time for Michigan to be an example for standards in protecting water sources and clean energy. Protect our Great Lake and shut down the pipeline.
  • Matt P
    signed 2017-07-05 18:14:36 -0400
    Shut Down line 5.
  • Nancy Keck
    signed 2017-07-05 17:26:02 -0400
    The risk is just to great to take chances with the health of our Great Lakes and those living in these regions.
  • Barbara Schneider
    posted about this on Facebook 2017-07-05 13:52:09 -0400
    I just signed a petition to stop Enbridge from squeezing the life out of their risky Straits pipeline. Join me?
  • Barbara Schneider
    signed 2017-07-05 13:51:48 -0400
    Barbara Schneider: To me shutting down line 5 should be a no brainer. If Enbridge can not guarantee 100% that Line 5 will never leak oil into the Straits of Mackinaw than it must be shut down. We must at all cost protect 20% of the worlds fresh water. we know we can not drink oil. Water is life!
  • Barbara Keck
    signed via 2017-07-05 13:06:52 -0400
  • Paul Keck
    signed 2017-07-05 12:43:14 -0400
    We are at an environmental tipping point. The question is not if the pipeline will rupture, but rather when. We cannot afford to jeopardize the drinking water of more than 30 million people. This pipeline was by design to have been decommissioned in 1983.

    It is imperative that we act now to preserve the logo of “Pure Michigan” for our children and grandchildren.
  • Richard Swan
    signed 2017-07-05 12:43:05 -0400
    One fifth of the fresh water in the world is at risk. Please don’t play politics with this treasure. Do not ignore the problem (like what happened in Flint) Remove this threat to our fresh water now!
  • Jacqueline Schmidt
    signed via 2017-07-05 09:40:23 -0400
  • Kris Pride-Helm
    signed via 2017-07-04 11:52:00 -0400
    Water is life! 💦

    https://youtu.be/42Xpita5FX0
  • Pam Hall
    signed via 2017-07-04 11:37:09 -0400
    Today is July 4th, a day our country celebrates freedom from tyranny. A country is its people & we the Anerican people have spoken. The country belongs to us, not corporations. We will not elect nominate, vote for, support politicians who do not honor that fact. The money made by special interests for a short time has long term permanent damage for generations to come. To not abolish proceeding with a proposal to use decrepit pipelones brings into question the sanity of elected officials. And since that rules out their ability to lead us, the choice is clear. Do NOT continue with Line 5. The lawsuits that will result will bankrupt us all & hurt us all as a country. The world is watching & losing respect every day this is even up for debate, since it is a no-brainer.
  • Margy Klesney
    signed 2017-07-04 06:24:59 -0400
    Protect our waters.
  • Barbara Hutton
    signed 2017-07-03 22:16:04 -0400
  • Mary Garton
    signed 2017-07-03 20:45:05 -0400
    The single most precious natural resource Michigan has is the Great Lakes. Enbridge has a terrible track record of maintaining its pipelines, recognizing damage, and cleaning up after its spills, and Line 5 has had numerous spills on dry land. There is no evidence they would be more responsible with this underwater section of line than they have been on any other section of pipeline or than they have been so far to date. They’ve known about these unsupported spans since 2003. There is no reason being put forward that is good enough to allow the risk of this pipeline rupture to our Great Lakes. The cost-benefit analysis clearly lies in favor of stopping all oil from going through this pipeline, and certainly not the opposite, which is to allow Enbridge to renew their permit without an independent safety study and public comment period.
  • Gilbert Martinez
    signed 2017-07-03 18:16:32 -0400
  • Rose Townsley
    signed 2017-07-03 13:11:52 -0400
    This not acceptable, pipelines Always leak and without clean water we DIE. Not Acceptable.
  • Sandra Cartwright
    signed 2017-07-03 10:49:37 -0400
    Please resist the monitory and PR pressure of Enridge and do the necessary and correct thing, get rid of the threat the pipeline presents.
  • James Shook
    followed this page 2017-07-03 10:20:00 -0400
  • James Shook
    signed 2017-07-03 10:14:15 -0400
  • Susan Saylor
    signed via 2017-07-03 08:57:14 -0400
  • Martha Stout Vermeulen
    posted about this on Facebook 2017-07-02 13:17:04 -0400
    I just signed a petition to stop Enbridge from squeezing the life out of their risky Straits pipeline. Join me?
  • Martha Stout Vermeulen
    posted about this on Facebook 2017-07-02 13:16:59 -0400
    I just signed a petition to stop Enbridge from squeezing the life out of their risky Straits pipeline. Join me?
  • Martha And Eric Vermeulen
    signed 2017-07-02 13:16:42 -0400
  • Diane Crawford
    signed 2017-07-02 12:34:01 -0400

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