Environmentalists speak out against proposal to transport heavy crude oil by pipeline along Great Lakes watersheds
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper's joint submission to the National Energy Board with Lake Erie Waterkeeper, Ottawa Riverkeeper, and Save the River lists our concerns about Enbridge's oil pipeline project. Those concerns prompted some media attention in NY State.
Jaegun Lee, Staff Writer for the Watertown Daily Times, outlines Waterkeeper's concerns regarding Enbridge's Line 9 reversal proposal.
Collectively, the groups are also calling for thicker pipes, better leak detection and spill prevention systems among other safety measures to reduce the risk of environmental hazards — like the 2010 oil spill in southwestern Michigan, where a rupture in Enbridge’s “Line 6B” caused more than 1 million gallons of diluted bitumen to leak into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.
In the letter, environmental advocates argue that Line 9 and Line 6B are “similar in structure and age” and that Enbridge’s proposal has the “potential to negatively impact the swimmability, drinkability and fishability of water in our watersheds.”
