In early August, the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners voted to temporarily table a resolution supporting Enbridge’s Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project. This opposition comes amidst growing pressure on Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state regulatory bodies to shut down this critical project that will transport reliable energy to Michigan homes and put local craftsmen to work, many of whom are Local 798 members!

Sign our letter below that we will submit to the Board at the appropriate time. We also encourage all who can to attend a County Board of Commissioners' meeting to speak up in support of this important project. Click here to view the meeting calendar page on the county website.

*PLEASE NOTE: Local 798 may submit your signature to elected officials, in addition to state and federal regulatory bodies, to support the Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project.

Dear Commissioners:

I join Pipeliners Local 798, a trades union representing the nation's best energy industry craftsmen, in expressing disappointment over the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners’ decision to table a resolution supporting Enbridge’s Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project.

Given your position as community leaders who care about the economic and energy future of Michigan, it is especially frustrating to hear you are taking action to stop this $500 million private investment in the state that will support good jobs for the local workforce and safely deliver reliable energy to residents.  

Enbridge has consistently demonstrated a commitment to maintaining the highest level of safety, particularly with the Line 5 pipeline. In November 2017, the company formally entered into an agreement with the state of Michigan, outlining seven actions Enbridge is taking to protect the state’s water bodies within the project footprint, including implementing additional safety measures to mitigate impacts and overall increased coordination with the state regarding operations and maintenance of Line 5.

In 2018, Enbridge announced another agreement with the state that put in place enhanced inspection and operations protocols for the project. The company is also evaluating additional technologies to provide more leak detection and coating integrity assessment on the pipe’s underwater portion, and it has plans to provide funding for cameras to give the Coast Guard real-time monitoring capabilities of ships entering the Straits.

I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in urging you to reconsider your position on the Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project due to the following reasons:

- Enbridge has a proactive inspection program to monitor the fitness of Line 5, including evaluating the pipe’s interior inch by inch every five years using in-line inspection tools that provide detail on par with MRIs in the medical industry;

- All products that enter the pipeline are inspected and treated to prevent corrosion, and the system is operated at a low pressure to minimize stress on the pipe – all in an effort to protect the pipeline and the Straits;

- In 2018 alone, Enbridge paid nearly $8 million in base salary to Michigan employees and approximately $60 million in property taxes in the state for its energy infrastructure projects, which was then invested in schools, roads and bridges and other important public services;

- The Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project will create good jobs for the local workforce, many of whom include Local 798 members.

Time and time again, Enbridge has addressed concerns raised by environmentalists and government officials in regards to the safety of the Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project and has demonstrated a clear plan to finish construction by 2021 in order to safely and efficiently deliver energy to homes and businesses across the state. This is why I encourage the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners, as well as all local leaders, to support this important project.

Signed,

Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project Supporter