Enbridge seeks permits to build Great Lakes oil tunnel

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JOHN FLESHER

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Enbridge Inc. applied Wednesday for state and federal authorization to construct an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Michigan waterway that connects two of the Great Lakes.

The Canadian company wants to build a roughly 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometer-long) tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. It would replace the underwater segment of Line 5, a pipeline that runs between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario.

Enbridge submitted a joint application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Approval from both is needed for the project to go forward.

“The Great Lakes Tunnel Project unequivocally is the most practical, long-term solution to delivering a secure energy supply to the region while enhancing environmental safeguards in the Straits,” said Amber Pastoor, the project manager.



FILE - In this June 8, 2017 file photo, fresh nuts, bolts and fittings are ready to be added to the east leg of the pipeline near St. Ignace as Enbridge prepares to test the east and west sides of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich. Enbridge Inc. applied Wednesday, April, 2020, for state and federal authorization to construct an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Michigan waterway that connects two of the Great Lakes. (Dale G Young/Detroit News via AP)/Detroit News via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/d88e5161dc395f58d7e72981cba3107c

[safeinOhio]

1. Enbridge Inc. does not have a very good record.

Take the highest predicted cost of a major spill and pay for an insurance policy that will cover that, then go ahead. We love our Great Lakes and our states depend on them economically.
Tired of us paying for rich folks schemes to get richer.

[Hiawatha Pete]

10. +100

[SergeStorms]

18. Like we need more oil on the market anyway.

There's a world glut of oil right now, and these assholes want to put more oil on the market, at the risk of polluting 21% of the earth's fresh surface water? Shortsighted, greedy, moronic sons-of-bitches anyway!

[pandr32]

2. What could go wrong?

[Canoe52]

7. +1,000

[DeminPennswoods]

20. No kidding

nt

[CaptYossarian]

3. Much of the Upper Midwest still hasn't felt the economic recovery that

the coasts have enjoyed. Let's eff up the only good thing around and totally destroy the region.

They can build the tunnel in their ass.

[brush]

12. Exactly. We know at some point that thing is going to spring a leak and spoil two...

great lakes. Not smart.

[pandr32]

19. Now that's a good suggestion!

[Auggie]

4. I'd expect the Feds to approve it in a heartbeat. Up to the states to stop it.

[ewagner]

13. Two points...

First, the Feds are trying to take away the authority of the states to regulate these pipelines, and, in turn, the states (especially those controlled by a Republican majority) are taking away ALL the power of counties and cities to regulate pipelines.

Second, where the authority does exist, and a permit is denied, the pipeline companies go directly to court. If the local, circuit court doesn't side with them they drag it up to the Appellate Court and then the Supreme Court...where...guess what...Conservative judges rubber stamp it even if they have to twist existing law and precedents into knots to make it seem reasonable (hint: it usually doesn't pass the giggle test)

I've had some exposure to this company on the County level and I will tell you...THEY ARE RELENTLESS!

[Auggie]

16. Of course it will end up in court, but as far as a SCOTUS ruling ...

you're speculating. Objective here may be to tie-up the project long enough for renewables to make a serious enough dent in the price of oil to make it unprofitable -- or for the Biden administration to simply say no.

[ewagner]

22. True....

and I didn't take the act of drawing it out until Biden could reject it into account. I wouldn't put it past Enbridge to convince the courts to put the issue on a "rocket docket" to get it through more quickly.

Or, they could do nationally what they did to Wisconsin when Tony Evers was elected. Hold a LAME DUCK session of Congress and push it through along with as much damage they can do to the power of the Executive. That might not be effective because we will still hold the majority in the House. (off topic: TOTALLY expect McConnell to push thorough every last judicial nomination he can find before he loses his majority)

[Auggie]

25. Yes! McConnell and his judiciary: a lasting problem for sure

[Magoo48]

5. Oh, fuck no. These guys still can't see writing on the wall.

They. Are. The. Problem. Our planet can’t take anymore. Hopefully soon, humanity won’t take anymore.

[Hiawatha Pete]

11. This

[Tech]

6. People who live in the great lakes are very protective of them. The Republican "leaders"

in great lake state do not work for the people of those states. They work for the same special interest groups who are moving in on national lands. I have no faith in repubs leaders in the great lakes regions.
I may be biased, being from Wisconsin where the world saw how repubs treat its citizens this week. Johnson, Vos and Fitzgerald are not nice people.

[ewagner]

14. 100% AGREE...

...Also in Wisconsin

[Hiawatha Pete]

9. No surprise. Ontario Premier Thug Ford is bought & paid for by the fossil fuel lobby

Last edited Thu Apr 9, 2020, 10:40 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm still livid at FatFuckFord's squandering of our tax dollars with the scrapping of the Hamilton Light Rail Transit and Ontario wind turbine projects.

1) Spring 2018 - Ford campaign names Chris Froggatt as vice-chair.

2) Froggatt listed as a lobbyist for Irving Oil in 2016.

3) December 2019 - Premier Ford kills Hamilton LRT.

4) November 2019 - Doug Ford government spent $231M to scrap wind turbine project.


References below:

1) https://www.macleans.ca/politics/for-access-to-the-ford-government-two-names-matter-most/

2) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=358708®Id=863939

3)https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/9779906-editorial-the-numbers-doug-ford-s-using-to-kill-lrt-don-t-add-up/

4) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-green-energy-wind-turbines-cancelled-230-million-1.5364815

[marble falls]

15. Why would a we as an oil exporting nation need to get to Canadian oil unless its that Canada ...

doesn't want the dirt of dealing with oil in Canada: are they exporting oil or throwing their shit over the fence?

[SergeStorms]

17. Not just "no", but HELL NO!

They're talking about polluting (and you KNOW it'll happen) 84% of North America's surface fresh water and about 21% of the world's supply of surface fresh water.

Fuck you, fuck your petroleum products, and fuck the horses you rode in on, you fucking money-grubbing assholes!

[Luciferous]

21. Hell no

[rockfordfile]

24. I agree

How would you prosecute a company for oil spills that's located another country? It would be a pain in the ass to get to them.

[bluestarone]

23. NO effin way!

Please STOP these assholes!!

[Nitram]

26. NO!

[sakabatou]

27. Everybody would love it if the lakes were polluted!