The call to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 continues.
That’s the pipeline that carries oil and natural gas liquid under the Straits of Mackinac.
Protestors gathered outside the State Capitol today. They marched to the governor’s office and Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office. Once there, they delivered over 25,000 comments calling for the line to be shut down.
The protestors included Clifford, a horse from Drummond Island. Nancy Bailey is Clifford’s “human.” She says Clifford is a therapy animal. But he came to the protest because of environmental concerns surrounding Line 5 and a potential leak.
“We spend all summer playin’ in Lake Huron and it’s always clean and we don’t want that to end,” she said.
Clifford did manage to get into the governor’s building, but was escorted out.
Andrea Bitely is with Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office. She says he's in favor of shutting down Line 5, but it’s not something that can happen overnight.
“You would hate to have someone in the Upper Peninsula not be able to heat their home in the winter because of closing Line 5," Bitely said. "We have to take into account everyone who is dependent on Line 5as well as the environmental risk.”
Environmentalists say the line needs to be shut down immediately to protect the Great Lakes. Enbridge is one of Michigan Radio's corporate sponsors.
