News

A Michigan resident identifies fraudulent comment submitted in her name during the alternatives study public comment period.

LANSING – Michigan residents have sounded the alarm that an unknown number of comments submitted to the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board (PSAB) regarding the State of Michigan’s Line 5 Alternatives Analysis were fraudulently created. A fraudulent comment was identified by Michigan resident Nancy Pichiotino, and similar language appears to have been automatically generated and submitted on behalf of others.

Citizens have called on Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate.

“Sometime in early August, I received information from a friend that a comment attributed to me was posted on the state PSAB comment website,” Pichiotino said in a declaration to the Attorney General’s office. “I did not author this statement and I did not send it to the PSAB. Indeed it is a false statement since it misrepresents and exaggerates both the safety record of Enbridge and the alleged contributions that Line 5 makes to Michigan citizens and business interests.”

The comment submitted in Pichiotino’s name was nearly identical to a significant number of other comments submitted in support of Line 5. The controversy comes as a similar investigation continues in Pennsylvania.

“I did not author this statement and I did not send it to the PSAB. Indeed it is a false statement since it misrepresents and exaggerates both the safety record of Enbridge and the alleged contributions that Line 5 makes to Michigan citizens and business interests.” - Nancy Pichiotino, Michigan Resident

“The sheer number of comments that are almost identical to Ms. Pichiotino’s are a clear indicator that an investigation into the integrity of this comment process is warranted,” said Leonard Page, an attorney with the northern Michigan-based Straits Area Concerned Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment. “It is alarming and frightening that the comment process – which is an official public record – could have been fraudulently altered to support Enbridge Energy’s interests, and Attorney General Schuette must investigate these developments.”