Take Action: Submit a Comment to Reject the Line 5 Pipeline!

Right now we have an opportunity to take action to reject the Line 5 crude oil pipeline and defend Indigenous rights, the Great Lakes, and our global climate! 

On May 2, 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced the opening of a written comment period regarding the newly released draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of Enbridge’s Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project. This project poses a grave danger to the Great Lakes region, home to one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater.

In conjunction with the ACOE local public hearing being held on June 4 in Ashland, Wisconsin, the public comment period is an opportunity to take action and tell USACE and the entire Biden Administration about your concerns regarding the harmful impacts of the Line 5 pipeline. Join us in demanding that the Army Corps reject any requested permits for a Line 5 expansion project now or in the future. The ACOE should respect and reinforce the legal decision to decommission the pipeline no later than June 2026 and to permanently shutdown this pipeline once and for all.

Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline was originally built in 1953, and continues to operate nearly 20 years past its engineered lifespan, transporting 22 million gallons of crude oil each day through northern Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and under the Straits of Mackinac. Already this pipeline has spilled over a million gallons of oil. This poses a grave danger to the Great Lakes region.  Enbridge’s planned expansion and operation not only diverts us from our climate targets and objectives, but also significantly worsens the escalating impacts of the global climate crisis.

Enbridge’s proposal to expand Line 5 comes despite the strong opposition of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other Tribes. The new Line 5 pipeline expansion and re-route threatens local aquifers and waterways, Treaty Rights, and the climate. Additionally, historical evidence demonstrates that as a result of extractive projects in and around Indigenous communities, the influx of pipeline workers and "man-camps"  exacerbates the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit people.

Please join us in solidarity with the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance to submit public comments on the Line 5 pipeline! 

See details below on how to submit a public comment, including a sample comment, talking points, and additional resources.

HOW TO SUBMIT A COMMENT

You can submit comments to the Army Corps anytime before August 30, 2024 by:

• Emailing comments to: CEMVP-WiL5R-CDD-Comments@usace.army.mil

OR

• Mailing comments to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

St. Paul District, Regulatory Division

332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500

St. Paul, MN 55101-1678

postmarked no later than July 5, 2024

TEMPLATES & TALKING POINTS

Please see a list of talking points and a sample comment to inspire your public comment!

In all comments please remember to include that you want the USACE to reject the reroute, or choose the “No Action Alternative”, which is the option for rejecting the pipeline proposal. 

Here's a sample public comment that you can send to the US Army Corps of Engineers to express opposition to the Line 5 pipeline. Feel free to personalize this letter with any additional points or personal experiences you may have. For further information on submitting a comment, please see this toolkit created by the broader coalition to stop Line 5. 

Sample Comment

Subject Line: Public Comment on Enbridge Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project

Dear US Army Corps of Engineers,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Enbridge’s Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project. As a concerned citizen, I believe that this project poses significant environmental, economic, and public health risks that outweigh any potential benefits, and would urge the Army Corps to reject all permits for this reroute project.

First and foremost, Line 5 presents an unacceptable risk to the Great Lakes, which are a vital freshwater resource for millions of people and hold over 20% of the world's fresh surface water. The pipeline is over 65 years old and has a history of leaks and safety violations. The Line 5 reroute would cross 180 permanent and intermittent streams, wetlands, and other water bodies, putting every single one at risk. A spill in this area would have catastrophic consequences, devastating the fragile ecosystem, harming wildlife, and contaminating drinking water for communities in Wisconsin, the Great Lakes region and beyond. 

Line 5 is also trespassing on the territories of the Bad River Band, who have called for the pipeline to be shut down permanently. The reroute project is not a solution. An oil spill could eviscerate local economies and generations of cultural practice and identity for members of the Bad River Band, who have relied on the wild rice, the fish, and the watershed for centuries. Leaders of 30 Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes region sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the United States to take action against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline’s trespass on the Bad River Band’s sovereign territories.

Additionally, Line 5 perpetuates our reliance on fossil fuels at a time when we urgently need to transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources to combat climate change. To achieve the climate goals laid out by the United States, we must start phasing out fossil fuels, not expanding them. 

I urge the US Army Corps of Engineers to deny the permits for the Enbridge Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project and to take action to decommission the existing pipeline. Protecting 20 percent of the world’ surface freshwater, respecting Indigenous sovereignty, and prioritizing the long-term health and safety of our communities should be our highest priorities.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Sample Talking Points

Find talking points explicitly on climate and Indigenous rights down below. For talking points on health, Line 5 oil spills, ecosystems and much more please see this talking points document, created by the broader coalition to stop Line 5. 

Expanding Line 5 is bad for the Climate

• Granting a permit for this expansion will continue to lock us into aging fossil fuel infrastructure. 

• Continuing to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure like Line 5 risks stranded assets and financial losses as the world shifts towards a Just Transition. 

• The transportation of oil via pipelines carries inherent risks, including spills that can have devastating environmental consequences. In the event of a spill from Line 5, not only would there be immediate harm to ecosystems and wildlife, but the cleanup efforts would also release additional GHGs into the atmosphere, further contributing to climate change.

• International agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Transporting oil through Line 5 contradicts these goals by perpetuating the use of fossil fuels and hindering a Just Transition.
  

Line 5 violates Indigenous Rights

• The USACE must Incorporate the federal court’s decision in Bad River Band v. Enbridge into the public interest and the purpose and need of the project.

• Rejecting Line 5 is not only a matter of environmental protection but also an essential step in honoring and upholding the rights of Tribal nations. By rejecting Line 5, we advocate for justice, respect for treaties, and the protection of sacred lands and waters for future generations.

• Leaders of 30 Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes region sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the United States to take action against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline’s trespass on the Bad River Band’s sovereign territories.

• The principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a cornerstone of international human rights standards, particularly under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Many Indigenous nations have not given their consent for the continued operation or proposed tunnel construction of Line 5. Proceeding without this consent violates their rights.

• Historical evidence tells us that as a result of extractive projects in and around tribal communities, the influx of pipeline workers and "man-camps" only exacerbates the epidemic of increasing recorded incidents of violence and human trafficking against Indigenous women and peoples.