Megan Wittman, megan.wittman@sierraclub.org
MICHIGAN – Today, Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced their reconsideration of the Line 5 tunnel project in the Strait of Mackinac, after the Michigan Supreme Court issued that the state must assess potential environmental damage from the tunnel project and evaluate other alternatives. The Governor reiterated her call for Enbridge to shut down the existing pipeline as well.
In her official statement, Whitmer called the pipeline “a ticking time bomb” and, in her letter to Enbridge, wrote that, “Enbridge cannot use the promise of a tunnel to justify putting our most precious resources at risk by pumping oil through the Great Lakes for another decade.”
In response, Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Executive Committee member, released the following statement:
“We deeply appreciate Governor Whitmer and her administration for standing up for the Great Lakes and listening to the years-long demand from Michigan’s tribes and people across Michigan and the region. Enbridge’s tunnel project is dangerous for our water, our ecosystems, and our local economies. There is no scenario in which this project is the best option for Michiganders. After imploring Governor Whitmer and our state officials to block the tunnel project since it was first introduced, we’re glad Michigan officials are taking a stand against the international oil giant and putting what’s best for our state first and foremost.”
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.