By Phyllis Hasbrouck, Tar Sands Team Co-Lead
The Canadian oil pipeline company Enbridge is full of ideas when their spill-prone pipelines are criticized. Maybe you don’t like the fact that their two 69-year-old pipes lying on the bed of the Straits of Mackinac are a “ticking time bomb” that could rupture at any time, polluting Lakes Michigan and Huron? Well, they’ve got a “solution” for us: Dig a tunnel under the Straits and put a new pipeline through it!
To read why the Michigan coalition Oil and Water Don’t Mix opposes a tunnel, click here. Brian O’Mara, a geological engineer and 30-year veteran of tunnel projects, and hydrogeologist Mike Wilczynski, who has more than 40 years of geological and environmental experience, explain why this tunnel proposal must be rejected. Or click here to read just five of the more horrifying dangers that a tunnel would pose to the tunnel workers, the Great Lakes, and the surrounding communities.
The Army Corps must hear from us by October 14!
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has announced a public comment period, which closes on October 14, to gather suggestions for what they should investigate as they create an Environmental Impact Statement on the tunnel.
Your comment is important! The more people who point out all the dangers that must be investigated, the more closely the USACE will examine Enbridge’s plans. Our activism has already had an effect, pushing the USACE to hold a comment period and a public hearing. Our movement has created enough noise to get their attention. We’ve got to keep the pressure on so that they realize that the public will not stand for the “business as usual” rubber-stamping of fossil fuel infrastructure projects.
Take a few minutes now to make a comment — don’t put it off until later! To submit your comment, click the button below to access our action page, where you’ll find a sample comment, tips for effective comments, and suggested bullet points.
Speak up for the water, even if your voice trembles!
In addition to submitting a comment, you can also attend a virtual hearing. To testify, or just watch the testimony, attend the virtual public hearing of the USACE on Thursday, October 6, from 12:00 to 3:00 pm CST.
There are no reservations. They will admit the first 1,000 people, so log in early to be sure to get a spot. Log in at https://tinyurl.com/USACELine5 or by phone at (309) 205-3325 using Webinar ID 829 6174 3672. The usual length allowed for testimony is three minutes. That goes by quickly, so it’s a good idea to test the length of your remarks ahead of time.
A University of Michigan study showing the way the currents would pull the oil during the first 20 days after a 12-hour release.
Thank you so much for being a part of this movement to stop Line 5. Together with our allies and with untold numbers of people fighting fossil fuels all over the planet, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for! And we will keep resisting.
For more information, read this article from Wisconsin Public Radio about the EPA’s hard-hitting letter to the DNR and USACE.