Tell Governor Whitmer to stop the Line 5 pipeline tunnel project: [link removed]

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Dear Friend,

Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline has threatened the Great Lakes for 70 years, and after decades of erosion, the pipeline is at risk of a catastrophic oil spill. Built in 1953, the outdated pipeline pumps up to 540,000 barrels of petroleum per day from western to eastern Canada, cutting through Tribal territories in Wisconsin and Michigan and running beneath the heart of the Great Lakes. It’s estimated that Line 5 has spilled more than 1 million gallons of oil over 33 incidents. Send a letter today and tell President Biden to decommission Line 5! [link removed]

In 2019, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued Enbridge for trespassing on their reservation in Wisconsin. And two years ago, the State of Michigan ordered Line 5 to stop operating – yet Enbridge continues to operate its pipeline in defiance of that order. Now, it is up to President Biden to use his power to decommission the pipeline by revoking the presidential permit for Line 5.

The Straits of Mackinac have been called the “worst possible place” for an oil spill because of their strong, shifting currents, and their location between two of the Great Lakes, which contain 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. The Straits are a place of immense spiritual and cultural significance to the Bay Mills Indian Community, and the sacred birthplace in their story of creation. Since time immemorial, Anishinaabe Tribal Nations have harvested traditional medicines, plants, and foods from the Great Lakes Basin, including abundant lake trout and whitefish. Today, over half of Bay Mills households rely on commercial fishing for all or part of their income. The Line 5 pipeline -- and Enbridge’s proposed tunnel project -- pose a grave threat to Bay Mills’ way of life, and to the drinking water of over 40 million people.

After seven decades of corrosion and use, the pipeline no longer sits on the lakebed as it crosses the Straits of Mackinac. It is now elevated, making it easier for boats with anchors to snag on the pipeline, potentially releasing oil. Indeed, vessels struck the pipeline with anchors or cables at least three times in 2018 and 2019 alone. In 2020, the pipeline was damaged so severely that a court ordered Enbridge to temporarily shut it down. Enbridge has proposed a false solution: It wants to build an underground tunnel that experts say could cause a catastrophic explosion in the Great Lakes. The real solution is to stop oil from flowing through the Great Lakes for good.

Enbridge’s own analysts say that shutting down Line 5 would impact gas prices by less than a penny. On the other hand, keeping Line 5 open exacerbates the climate crisis at a time when we must transition to renewables, adding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 19 million vehicles each year. There is much to gain and little to lose by shutting down Line 5. Send a letter to President Biden to decommission the Line 5 pipeline today! [link removed]

Sincerely,
Debbie Chizewer
Managing Attorney

TAKE ACTION: [link removed]

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