1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

Dear President Biden, VP Harris and Members of Congress, I am urging you to call for a complete Environmental Impact Statement and consideration of a full shut down of Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline. I am writing to express my strong opposition to Enbridge’s Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project. As a concerned citizen, I believe that this project poses significant environmental, economic, and public health risks that outweigh any potential benefits, and would urge the Army Corps to reject all permits for this reroute project. First and foremost, Line 5 presents an unacceptable risk to the Great Lakes, which are a vital freshwater resource for millions of people and hold over 20% of the world's fresh surface water. The pipeline is over 65 years old and has a history of leaks and safety violations. The Line 5 reroute would cross 180 permanent and intermittent streams, wetlands, and other water bodies, putting every single one at risk. A spill in this area would have catastrophic consequences, devastating the fragile ecosystem, harming wildlife, and contaminating drinking water for communities in Wisconsin, the Great Lakes region and beyond.  Line 5 is also trespassing on the territories of the Bad River Band, who have called for the pipeline to be shut down permanently. The reroute project is not a solution. An oil spill could eviscerate local economies and generations of cultural practice and identity for members of the Bad River Band, who have relied on the wild rice, the fish, and the watershed for centuries. Leaders of 30 Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes region sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the United States to take action against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline’s tre spass on the Bad River Band’s sovereign territories. Additionally, Line 5 perpetuates our reliance on fossil fuels at a time when we urgently need to transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources to combat climate change. To achieve the climate goals laid out by the United States, we must start phasing out fossil fuels, not expanding them. Protecting 20 percent of the world’ surface freshwater, respecting Indigenous sovereignty, and prioritizing the long-term health and safety of our communities should be our highest priorities.