Now more than ever Governor Whitmer needs to hear from you as the battle to shut down Line 5 heats up.
On November 13, 2020, Governor Whitmer took action to revoke the easement which allows Line 5 to operate and shut down the dual pipelines through the Straits of Mackinac, as she promised that she would during her campaign. This was a historic and courageous move to protect one of Michigan’s biggest natural resources - the Great Lakes. Not everyone can see that in the big picture, this move to protect our water is clearly in the best interest of Michigan’s economy and the environment. There is strong corporate pushback against shutting down Line 5 which is supported by its operator, the Canadian company Enbridge. During the June 30, 2020 hearing with Judge Jamo, Enbridge claimed that it suffers “1.76 million dollar loss per day” that Line 5 is not operating.
Therefore, it is important to let Governor Whitmer know that you support shutting down Line 5. The easiest way is to email Gretchen.Whitmer@michigan.gov with “Support for shutting down Line 5” or something similar, in the subject line. You needn’t write much more in the body of the email as the subject line is the most important part to be included in the daily summary she gets about why people are contacting her office. You can also call, but it is sometimes hard to get through. The two numbers are the general number - (517) 373-3400 and constituent affairs - (517) 335-7858.
Plus → Read proposals or petitions carefully before signing!
Line 5 needs to be "decommissioned" so that its use is ended and the pipeline is carefully removed. Repairing the aging pipeline does not remove the risk of a spill in our Great Lakes - nor does ending the easement but giving permission for other petroleum products to still be transported. If you are presented a petition or proposal, please read it carefully before signing.