Report on Environmental Advocacy Regarding Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline

Executive Summary

On the 15th anniversary of the Enbridge Line 6b oil spill into the Kalamazoo River, a coalition of environmental groups, community organizations, and indigenous leaders convened to highlight the ongoing risks posed by fossil fuel infrastructure to the Great Lakes region. The event served as a platform to demand the shutdown of the aging Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which runs through the Straits of Mackinac. This report details the arguments presented, framing them within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning clean water, climate action, and biodiversity.

1.0 Historical Context: The 2010 Kalamazoo River Oil Spill

The 2010 rupture of Enbridge’s Line 6b pipeline serves as a critical precedent for the current advocacy efforts. The incident, one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history, had severe and lasting consequences that directly contravened several Sustainable Development Goals.

1.1 Environmental and Community Impact

• Spill Details: The pipeline burst released approximately 1.2 million gallons of tar sands oil.
• Contamination Zone: Over 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries were contaminated.
• Impact on SDGs:
  • SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The spill caused a catastrophic failure in protecting a vital freshwater ecosystem.
  • SDG 14 (Life Below Water) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): The event resulted in extensive damage to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and habitats.
  • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Local residents reported immediate health effects from toxic fumes and an incalculable long-term toll on community well-being.

2.0 Current Controversy: The Line 5 Pipeline and Proposed Tunnel Project

Advocacy groups are leveraging the memory of the Kalamazoo disaster to focus public and regulatory attention on Enbridge’s Line 5, a 72-year-old pipeline that crosses the Straits of Mackinac. The central conflict involves Enbridge’s proposal to build a tunnel under the lakebed to house a new segment of the pipeline, a project opponents argue fails to mitigate the fundamental risks.

2.1 Stakeholder Arguments and SDG Alignment

Multiple organizations have voiced strong opposition to the continued operation of Line 5 and the construction of the proposed tunnel, citing threats to environmental sustainability and public trust.

2.2 Michigan Climate Action Network

• Position: Executive Director Denise Keele stated the primary message is to “shut down Line 5 and no oil tunnel,” emphasizing that history must not be repeated.
• SDG Alignment: This stance directly supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) by advocating against the perpetuation of fossil fuel infrastructure and its contribution to climate disruption.

2.3 Community and Indigenous Voices

• Kalamazoo Remembers: Representative Iris Potter warned that a spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be an unimaginable disaster, destroying the beauty and ecological integrity of the Great Lakes.
• Clean Water Action & Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians: Organizer Dr. Nichole Keway Biber, a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, highlighted the systemic threat posed by the aging 645-mile pipeline. She asserted that indigenous peoples and their allies are prepared to take direct action to protect the water.
• SDG Alignment: These perspectives underscore the importance of SDG 14 (Life Below Water) by seeking to protect the world’s largest freshwater system. They also align with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by asserting the rights of indigenous communities who have stewarded the waters for generations.

2.4 Broader Environmental Coalition

• Oil and Water Don’t Mix: Coordinator Sean McBrearty characterized the Kalamazoo spill as a result of corporate negligence and argued that Enbridge cannot be trusted with the Great Lakes, calling for a movement to ensure such a disaster does not “strike again.”
• National Wildlife Federation: Great Lakes Director Beth Wallace criticized the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for allegedly failing to properly assess the full environmental risks of the tunnel project. She stated the organization would pursue legal action if the agency does not fulfill its obligations under the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act.
• SDG Alignment: These arguments focus on SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), demanding corporate accountability and robust, transparent regulatory oversight to protect public resources. The formation of this coalition exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

3.0 Corporate and Regulatory Response

3.1 Enbridge Position

Enbridge maintains that the Great Lakes Tunnel project is a proactive safety measure designed to safeguard the Great Lakes. The company states its commitment to protecting natural resources and welcomes the public comment process as an essential part of its planning.

3.2 EGLE Position

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has stated that its top priority is protecting the Straits of Mackinac from adverse environmental impacts. The agency is currently reviewing permit applications for the tunnel construction.

4.0 Public Participation and Next Steps

EGLE is facilitating a public comment period to gather feedback on the permit applications. Citizens can participate through several channels before the August 29 deadline.

1. Online Comments: Submissions can be made via the EGLE public notice portal.
2. Mail or Email: Written comments can be sent to EGLE’s designated P.O. Box or email address.
3. Virtual Q&A Session: An informal question and answer session will be held on August 12.
4. Formal Public Hearing: A formal online public hearing is scheduled for August 19.

This process provides a mechanism for public engagement in environmental governance, a key tenet of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Kalamazoo River oil spill and the Line 5 pipeline controversy addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on environmental protection, public health, institutional responsibility, and climate action. The primary SDGs connected to the issues are:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, several specific targets under the identified SDGs are relevant:

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials…” The article directly discusses the pollution of the Kalamazoo River from an oil spill (“One-point-two million gallons of oil was recovered”) and the potential for a future spill in the Great Lakes, which hold “20 percent of the world’s (accessible) fresh water.”
   • Target 6.6: “By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including… wetlands, rivers… and lakes.” The core issue is the damage to the Kalamazoo River ecosystem and the movement to “protect our Great Lakes” from a similar disaster.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce… the number of people affected… caused by disasters, including water-related disasters…” The article highlights the impact of the man-made disaster on local residents, noting an “incalculable” toll and people “feeling ill from the smell.” The activism aims to prevent a future disaster from affecting communities around the Great Lakes.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation…” The event marking the 15th anniversary is an awareness-raising campaign. Denise Keele explicitly connects the pipeline issue to climate change, stating a mistake is “perpetuating the use of fossil fuels that’s causing disruption of the Earth’s climate.”
4. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • Target 14.1: “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities…” Although focused on marine environments, this target’s principle applies to the Great Lakes. The article describes the Kalamazoo spill as “one of the largest inland oil spills in the U.S.” and warns against a repeat in the Great Lakes, which would be pollution from land-based infrastructure (a pipeline).
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Target 15.1: “By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services…” The spill contaminated “more than 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River and one of its tributaries,” directly impacting an inland freshwater ecosystem.
   • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity…” The impact on wildlife is explicitly shown with the photo and caption of “A great blue heron covered in oil,” illustrating the degradation of habitats and threat to biodiversity.
6. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.7: “Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.” The article details the public’s opportunity to engage with the government agency EGLE through a public comment period, a Q&A session, and a formal public hearing regarding the Line 5 tunnel permits.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure the impact of the disaster and progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator for Water Pollution (Targets 6.3, 14.1): The volume of oil spilled is a direct indicator of pollution. The article states, “One-point-two million gallons of oil was recovered.” The extent of the contamination is another indicator: “more than 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River.” The continued presence of pollutants is also mentioned: “USEPA said there is still oil in the sediment of the Kalamazoo River.”
• Indicator for Impact on Human Populations (Target 11.5): While not quantified, the article implies an indicator related to the number of people affected by mentioning the “incalculable” toll on residents and people “feeling ill from the smell.”
• Indicator for Impact on Biodiversity (Target 15.5): The article provides a qualitative and visual indicator of the impact on wildlife with the description and image of “A great blue heron covered in oil.”
• Indicator for Institutional Responsiveness (Target 16.7): The mechanisms for public participation serve as indicators. The article mentions that EGLE is “taking comments from the public,” will hold a “virtual and informal question and answer session,” and a “formal public hearing.” The number of comments received or participants in these events could be used as metrics.
• Indicator for Infrastructure Risk: The age of the pipeline is used as an indicator of risk. The article notes that Line 5 is “over 70-years-old” and “more than 30 years older than Line 6b was when it ruptured.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: michiganpublic.org