Calling all water lovers and residents of Lake Superior! We have 24 hours to take a stand on protecting the Bad River, Kakagon Sloughs, and Lake Superior. Please email nrdirector@badriver-nsn.gov today with your comments on Enbridge’s proposed drilling. The deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The Mashkiiziibii (Bad River) Natural Resources Department is currently accepting comments on a proposed pipeline project on Enbridge's Line 5. The department will decide whether or not it meets their anti-degradation requirements that protect the water. It has already rejected 3 applications from Enbridge regarding other issues related to Line 5. Our comments will very likely help justify their decision regarding this issue.
Background
When Enbridge put Line 5 down across the Northwoods, they said it had a life expectancy of 50 years. 63 years later, Enbridge is proposing to replace 1.55 miles and bury it 60 feet below Mashkiiziibii, the Bad River. Enbridge wants to use a process called horizontal directional drilling (HDD). Though Enbridge says the project is designed to eliminate a danger, the Bad River Band wants the entire danger to be removed by eliminating the entire line from its territory and the Bad River watershed.
Even if every safety protocol worked perfectly for the entire duration of the project, the HDD would greatly disturb the entire ecological community of the Mashkiiziibii watershed, with both short term and permanent consequences. If any of the additives used in the drilling process spilled, the entire Mashkiiziibii watershed and surrounding communities would be at even greater risk of permanent and long-lasting damage. All of this at a time when we're more reliant than ever on the health and abundance of Lake Superior and its surrounding waterways!
That's why it's so important to take the time to leave a comment-- our voices strengthen the Band's sovereignty and send a clear message to Enbridge about how many people in the Mashkiiziibii watershed and beyond respect and cherish this special place.
Below are some talking points that you can use to help craft your comment. Outlining specific, concrete concerns gives the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department more material to work with to back up their decisions. Commenting is simple and has a direct, tangible effect on the policies that shape our lives. It's one of the many tools we use to protect the water and come into our collective power. Thank you for adding your voice to the story-- we need it!
Talking points – I am concerned about the possible effects of this project, including:
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the only way to ensure the safety of the Bad River from an oil spill is to decommission and shut down Line 5
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the wellbeing of timber wolf packs, specifically concerning their breeding and rendezvous sites;
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increased sediment flow into the Bad River and all connected streams (from ephemeral to year-round) during and after Enbridge's construction process;
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the storage processes (temporary and permanent) for the waste products from the horizontal directional drilling;
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soil compaction, disruption of surface water, groundwater contamination, and rutting of the soil; and
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degradation of safety standards and protocols during the construction and post-construction period in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. resulting in practices that could be unsafe for the surrounding community either through viral risk or risk to water and pipeline integrity.
This is an important opportunity to support the Bad River Band, protect the Bad River, and call for Line 5 to be shut down. Submit your comments by November 10, 2020 to nrdirector@badriver-nsn.gov.
(Photo Credit: Dwight Peck)