URGE GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO VOTE NO ON THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE ENBRIDGE LINE 5 TUNNEL

ACT: GT COMMISSION MEETS THIS WED., AUG. 7, AT 8 AM AT 400 BOARDMAN, TRAVERSE CITY The Grand Traverse County Commission has a resolution in front of it that is expected to be voted on THIS WEDNESDAY, that calls for support of Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac.   Please contact your County Commissioners TODAY to urge her or him to VOTE NO ON THE ENBRIDGE TUNNEL RESOLUTION.  Betsy Coffia email bcoffia@grandtraverse.org or 231-714-9598 Ron Clous, vice chair, email rclous@grandtraverse.org or 231-590-3316  Rob Hentschel, chair, email rhentschel@grandtraverse.org  or 231-946-4277  Bryce Hundley email bhundley@grandtraverse.org or 231-753-8602  Sonny Wheelock email swheelock@grandtraverse.org or 231-947-3277 Gordie LaPointe email glapointe@grandtraverse.org or 231-409-2607 Brad Jewett email bjewett@grandtraverse.org  or 231-633-9421  DON'T LET ENBRIDGE FOOL THE COUNTY COMMISSION! The proposed resolution offered by Commissioner Brad Jewett is totally off base - here are the facts: keeping the 66-year-old, dented, deteriorating Line 5 oil pipeline in place for a decade or more while a proposed tunnel is built leaves up to 700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline vulnerable to an unparalleled disaster from a break in the pipelines. Michigan has already been the home of the worst inland oil spill in our nation's history, why let a Canadian oil pipeline company continue to threaten our precious water and economy? Line 5 is 645-miles-long, running from Superior, WI, to Sarnia, ONT, crossing more that 400 waterways, and paralleling the north shore of Lake Michigan for many miles. A tunnel would keep the rest of this dangerous 66-year-old pipeline in place for many more decades. 90 to 95% of the oil in Line 5 goes from Canada to Canada, and does nothing for Michigan except use our state as a shortcut. Propane supplies to the U.P. can be replaced readily according to studies done for the state. And to fight climate change, which is harming our state already, we need to reduce fossil fuels, not make it easy for them to continue to be extracted, transported, processed and burned.  The Bad River Band in Wisconsin is suing to shut down Line 5 where it crosses their reservation after Enbridge's easement expired. Michigan's 12 tribes are all calling for a shutdown of Line 5. Grand Traverse County needs to stand in solidarity with native people whose treaty rights and dependence on natural resources are at risk from Enbridge's pipeline.  Attorney General Dana Nessel is looking out for the people of Michigan and the Great Lakes region by suing to shut down Line 5 across the Straits - Enbridge is only looking out for its pocketbook and using millions of dollars to put pressure on to stop AG Nessel from protecting us.  Find out more about how you can help the fight to shut down Enbridge Line 5 here or contact Christy McGillivray at christy.mcgillivray@sierraclub.org.