The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has opened a public comment period for the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and application for the proposed Line 5 Project crossing the Straits of Mackinac.

Timely approval of this permit is critical, as Line 5 continues to face opposition, including from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Governor Gretchen Whitmer's administration. It is important that the project moves through the permitting process without delay, so it can finish the tunnel under the Straits and immediately stop transporting oil through the aging Line 5 by 2024.

Pipeliner jobs in Michigan are in jeopardy! Sign and share the below petition that we will submit to the Dpt. of EGLE in support of Line 5 before the public comment period ends on October 19.

Dear Secretary:

I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in support of Enbridge’s Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project, a $500 million private investment in Michigan’s energy and economic future.

Much of the concern regarding the Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project is centered on the threat of an oil spill in the Straits and how that would harm the economy, environment and enjoyment of the Great Lakes. However, Enbridge continues to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining a high level of safety, including the diligent 24/7 monitoring of the Straits crossing, regular inspections and operating the line at less than 25 percent of its maximum design capabilities to minimize stress on the pipeline steel and enhance safety.

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 of Michigan that puts in place enhanced inspection and operations protocols for the project.

I support the Line 5 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;
• n 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 would create good jobs for the local workforce, many of whom include Local 798 members.

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 ask decision makers to approve necessary permits without delay.

Signed,

Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project Supporter

**Local 798 may submit your name to other local and state decision makers in support of Line 5.**