Below is the comment submitted to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy by Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert regarding the proposed Enbridge Line 5 “oil pipeline” project. Patagonia has been working to bring attention to Line 5 for nearly a decade. Those who wish to submit a comment of their own online can do so through our partner, Oil and Water Don’t Mix, here.
To the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE),
I’m writing to express Patagonia’s concerns with the proposed Line 5 tunnel project and the risks it poses to surrounding waters, lands and sacred Tribal sites.
Patagonia is a U.S.-based outdoor apparel brand with a 50-year history of environmental activism. We operate four retail stores in the region and have supported numerous local environmental organizations for decades. We believe deeply in the shared responsibility to protect our natural resources, as the future of our business, the outdoor recreation economy and our planet relies on the health of wild places. Our community of surfers, paddlers and fishers depend on the Great Lakes for their livelihoods, recreation and more.
The Great Lakes make up one of the most vital freshwater systems on Earth. In addition to providing drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada, the lakes sustain more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in wages annually. Additionally, recreation in the Great Lakes generates $52 billion annually. Put simply, a rupture of the Line 5 pipeline would have a devastating impact on our communities and the Great Lakes economy. The risks are not worth it.
At the lakes’ heart lies the Straits of Mackinac, where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet, forming the largest body of freshwater by surface area on the planet. Up to 80,000 cubic meters of water flow through the straits per second—approximately 30 times the average flow of water over Niagara Falls—which puts the consequences of a catastrophic rupture into even starker relief. As Whitney Gravelle, president of Bay Mills Indian Community, said, “The Straits of Mackinac are not just a waterway; they are the heart of creation for Anishinaabe people and a vital source of life for all who depend on the Great Lakes. An oil spill here would be devastating, not only to our way of life but to the entire region.”
The tunnel project, proposed by Enbridge Inc., would involve a minimum of six years of blasting and drilling beneath the lakebed of the Straits. According to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, construction of the tunnel could result in permanent damage to wetlands, groundwater contamination, disruption to fish habitats and 20,000 gallons of drilling fluid spilling into the straits.
Safety experts have expressed several concerns about the project, stating that methane intrusion risks and tunnel design flaws could lead to a pipeline rupture. This proposal comes less than a year after Enbridge’s Line 6 spill in Wisconsin (the largest oil spill in Wisconsin history) and just over 15 years after the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill, which remains one of the worst inland spills in U.S. history.
Alternatives to the proposal with less risk exist. According to studies, existing infrastructure and transportation methods (rail, truck and other pipelines) could safely and effectively replace Line 5’s capacity without causing energy shortages or price spikes.
Patagonia is no stranger to rigorous review. Our environmental efforts began in the 1970s by trying to prevent the destruction of our local surf breaks and rock walls. Later we started looking at minimizing the environmental harm associated with manufacturing our products. Probing deep and asking hard questions led us to embrace causing no unnecessary harm in our business dealings—a core tenet that guides our work today.
In that spirit, we urge EGLE to ask hard questions about the proposed tunnel project. Specifically, if alternatives to Line 5 exist that would prevent harm to surrounding waters, sacred Tribal sites and the Great Lakes economy, why would Michigan accept this proposal?
On behalf of Patagonia and our communities in the Great Lakes, I strongly urge EGLE to ensure a comprehensive permitting process considering the environmental effects of the entire tunnel project, including the full construction and operation of the tunnel. Additionally, we call on EGLE to consider a full set of alternatives to the project, including the decommissioning of Line 5. The Great Lakes are not just a regional resource; they are an international treasure—they deserve to be protected.
Sincerely,
Ryan Gellert
CEO, Patagonia