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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2017.06.15 - 22994MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #17184 BY: Commissioners Marcia Gersherison, District #13 and Helaine Zack, District #18 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — SUPPORT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENBRIDGE LINE 5 PIPELINE UNDER THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies, and Gentlemen: WHEREAS Line 5 is a set of twin, 64-year-old pipelines owned by Enbridge that carry light crude oil and natural gas under the Straits of Mackinac; and WHEREAS the currents in the Straits of Mackinac at peak volumetric transport can be more than 10 times greater than the flow of Niagara Falls and switch bi-directionally from east to west every few days, and according to a 2014 University of Michigan study are the "worst possible place" for an oil spill in the Great Lakes; and WHEREAS the Great Lakes contain 20 percent of the world's fresh, available, surface water and are a drinking water source for over 35 million people; and WHEREAS one out of every five jobs in Michigan is linked to the high quality and quantity of fresh water in the Great Lakes; and WHEREAS tourism is one of Michigan's largest income industries bringing in billions of visitor dollars spent each year; and WHEREAS agriculture, fisheries, shipping and industry depend on the health of the Great Lakes; and WHEREAS in 2009 the Great Lakes were linked to over 1.5 million jobs, with Michigan accounting for 35 percent of those jobs; and WHEREAS Enbridge has a concerning track record that includes 1,244 reportable spills, leaks and releases from 1996 to 2013; and WHEREAS Enbridge was in violation of spacing requirements of its 1953 easement for Line 5 in 2014 and were responsible for a pinhole leak in a section of the pipeline north of the Straits in December 2014; and WHEREAS Enbridge was responsible for one of the worst and most expensive oils spills in U.S. history when Line 6b ruptured near Kalamazoo in 2010 allowing almost 1 million gallons of tar sands oil to leak for 17 hours before shutting down the line; and WHEREAS corrosion is the number one reason that pipelines fail; and WHEREAS Line 5 was built before the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act was adopted so it didn't have to obtain a permit and ensure that the pipeline would not pose a threat to the waters or the public's use of the waters; and WHEREAS Michigan's Attorney General has stated (in regards to Line 5) that the "pipeline wouldn't be built today" and that "the pipeline's days are numbered"; and WHEREAS the Coast Guard Commandant testified before Congress in 2015 that the Coast Guard would be unable to respond effectively to an open water oil spill in the heart of the Great Lakes; and WHEREAS there is no plan for how to recover oil if there was a leak during the winter when the lakes are covered with ice; and WHEREAS as Michiganders we have a responsibility to be wise stewards of the waters of our state for generations to come; and WHEREAS protection of Michigan's water supplies and resources is better accomplished by prevention of contamination and environmental degradation, rather than attempting to clean up contamination and restore degraded environments after the fact. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners supports stopping the transportation of oil under the Great Lakes which is essential to preserve and protect Michigan's Great Lakes and its abundant natural resources and wholesome environment. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners supports shutting down Enbridge's Line 5 and the flow of oil under the Great Lakes. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners supports state legislation calling on Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette to shut down the Enbridge Line 5. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward copies of this adopted resolution to the Governor of the State of Michigan, the State Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the State House Speaker and Minority Leader, the Oakland County delegation to the f Cornffissioner District # Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Association of Counties, and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' legislative lobbyists. Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing resolution. Commissioner H ine Zack District #18 r. CA Commissio r District # Commilsionbr Commissioner District # za District # Commissioner District # Commissioner District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Resolution #17184 June 15, 2017 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.