Attorney General Bill Schuette was quoted again this week with his strongest language yet about decommissioning Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac. Disagreeing with an assertion that the pipeline could last “indefinitely”, Schuette called for a “comprehensive plan … to drive the timeline for the (pipeline’s) closure”. Yet in the same statement he suggested the pipeline could be replaced with a tunnel under the Straits, a risky and expensive alternative that ignores the long-term solution of getting oil to Michigan from other existing pipelines and, ultimately, reducing our demand for oil and transitioning our economy to run on cleaner fuel sources.
Groundwork attracts business support for Line 5 campaign
On May 31, Groundwork and the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center (NWF) hosted a Line 5 Business Reception at the Chippewa Hotel on Mackinac Island to coincide with the start of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce Mackinac Policy Conference the next morning.
Groundwork Advances Campaign to Shut Down Line 5 Pipeline
Two years ago, practically no one in Michigan was aware of the aging, twin oil pipelines lying at the bottom of the Mackinac Straits. Today, as a result of the Groundwork Center and partners seizing the issue and building a strong public outcry, we are closer to Line 5 becoming the first major oil pipeline in North America to be decommissioned.
Oil & Water Don’t Mix: May 2015
Here’s a recap of some of the latest developments in Groundwork’s efforts, as part of the Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition, to raise awareness of the threats posed by the pipelines in the Mackinac Straits.
Little reassurance at symposium on Straits pipeline
On June 24, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council hosted the Northern Michigan Pipeline Symposium in Petoskey, bringing together state and national groups involved-or concerned-about the aging oil pipelines running through the Mackinac Straits. The event provided a forum for regulators and Enbridge, the company that owns the pipeline, to reassure the public about the threat of a spill. Unfortunately, most people left just as concerned about the risk as when they arrived.
Join us and rally to protect the Great Lakes
MLUI and TC350, a dedicated group of local activists, are organizing “Oil & Water Don’t Mix: A Rally for the Great Lakes,” set for July 14 at the Bridge View Park in St. Ignace next to the Mackinac Bridge. It’s an incredible opportunity to raise awareness about climate change and the dangers posed by an oil pipeline that runs through the Mackinac Straits.