What is happening:
Enbridge is requesting a permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for its proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. If approved, the permit would allow Enbridge to:
- Dump billions of gallons of wastewater into Lake Michigan — enough to fill 9 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day
- Take up to 2 million gallons of water per day directly from Lake Michigan
- Discharge chemical additives, chlorides, solids, as well as pollutants from the heavy machinery used to bore the tunnel (like metals, oil, and grease)
The discharges may also affect the temperature and pH of the water, altering its chemistry and stressing fish and other aquatic life.
What you can do:
EGLE is now taking public comments on Enbridge’s requested National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, now and through June 30.
1) Tell EGLE and the State of Michigan to say NO to Enbridge’s plan to take millions of gallons of clean water from Lake Michigan, and discharge billions of gallons of dirty wastewater back into Lake Michigan. DEADLINE: June 30.
2) Attend the virtual public hearing on June 18 at 6:00pm. The public meeting will include a presentation and Q&A session, after which the public will have an opportunity to provide comments for the record.
Enbridge must receive multiple state and federal permits for its troubled tunnel proposal. You may have already commented on a previous federal or state permit application for then tunnel (thank you!), but it’s important to comment on this new permit too.
This is likely our last chance to tell EGLE and Governor Whitmer to reject Enbridge’s dangerous and unnecessary tunnel project and deny Enbridge permission to pollute the Great Lakes.
