Anishnaabe leader describes recurring nightmares of an oil leak in the Great Lakes

CBC Indigenous: As Calgary-based Enbridge waits for key approvals to start building a tunnel that would house a segment of Line 5, Anishinaabe and environmental groups in the U.S. continue to ask for the complete closure of the pipeline.

Built more than 70 years ago, Line 5 carries 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily across Wisconsin and Michigan to refineries in Sarnia, Ont. 

The tunnel would house a replacement segment of the existing Line 5 pipeline that crosses the bottom of the straits connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, known as the Straits of Mackinac.

The project – and the pipeline in general – raise a great deal of concern among Michigan’s Tribal Nations and environmental advocates.

As an area where two bodies of water meet, the Straits of Mackinac have been described by researchers as the ‘worst possible place’ for oil to spill in the Great Lakes.

In 2018, a ship’s anchor struck and damaged the pipeline, although Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy says it “did not cause Line 5 to fail” and “there was no release of the product.” 

He adds that deactivating the section of Line 5 that currently sits in the waters of the Straits of Mackinac and locating a replacement section inside the confines of a tunnel deep under the lakebed would “make what has always been a safe pipeline even safer.” 

‘It would be devastating for the the water, the land, and us’

Still, some Indigenous groups in the region are calling for the complete closure of the pipeline.

Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, says she sometimes has nightmares about getting a phone call from the state of Michigan informing her Line 5 has ruptured. 

“One of my greatest fears is that I’m going to get that phone call one day and then I’m going to have to go tell my people and my family and my uncles and my nephews and my cousins that they cannot go fish or hunt or gather anymore because the water is contaminated,” she said. 

The tunnel project is an hour’s drive south of Bay Mills, but Line 5 does cross rivers in the community’s territory, says Gravelle. 

Some of the residents of the Pine Creek Indian Reservation near Michigan’s capital also believe the risk of the pipeline spilling is too high.

“It would be devastating for the water, the land, and us… And it’s not just us Tribal Nations that will be impacted, but everybody,” said Douglas Taylor, an elder with Pine Creek. “It would be an international incident.” 

“That a private Canadian business built a pipeline in the Great Lakes threatening us and our environment really bothers me,” added Nat Spurr, another member of the Pine Creek community. 

Claude Ryan, who also lives in Pine Creek, is less categorical. “I’m not against the tunnel, but it should be monitored by our community,” he said. 

Environmental groups join call to shut down the pipeline

Several environmental groups have joined efforts to stop the tunnel project and close the pipeline. That includes For The Love of Water, Sierra Club and Clean Water. 

“The tunnel is a false solution,” said Tessine Murji, conservation organizer with Sierra Club. “We don’t know if they actually want to go through with it or if it’s just to distract from the growing calls to completely shut down Line 5.” 

Clean Water director Sean McBreaty says a University of Michigan study established that the Line 5 pipeline has long outlived its life expectancy. 

He adds that a leak or spill would have dramatic consequences because of the strong currents on either side of the Straits of Mackinac.

As for Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy, he says there has never been a spill in that specific area. He says in the past 20 years, there were five ‘releases’ (spills) from Line 5 and they occurred outside of Enbridge facilities.

Some environmental groups like the National Wildlife Federation say Line 5 has had at least 33 spills over the last 50 years. 

When asked about the different numbers, Duffy said “the majority of the spills marked on the map occurred inside Enbridge facilities, where they are contained and the product is returned to the system.”

Ongoing safety measures relating to Line 5 include 24/7 leak protection monitoring, reduced pressure in the pipeline, and automatic isolation valves, among other things. 

Enbridge is still waiting for a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers to build its proposed tunnel. The agency’s environmental impact statement isn’t expected to be released before spring 2025, essentially pushing the start of construction until at least 2026. 

About the Author: Delphine Jung, Journalist, Radio-Canada

Delphine Jung is a reporter for Radio-Canada who covers Indigenous issues, society, the environment and personal privacy.