Dispute now in court

To the Journal editor:

Some time ago, Gov. Whitmer reopened negotiations with Enbridge to discuss a possible tunnel under the Straits for Line 5.

Those negotiations are now over! Enbridge proposed that it might (with no technical or permitting delays) be able to build a tunnel in five years rather than the original seven-10 years proposed for the lame-duck Snyder tunnel.

Whitmer came back with — get Line 5 out of the water within two years, regardless of how long it takes to build a tunnel. No deal says Enbridge.

So Enbridge filed an action in state Court of Claims seeking a determination that PA 395 (the lame-duck Snyder sellout tunnel law) was valid and enforceable. Attorney General Nessel responded if you want to challenge my opinion that it’s unconstitutional, see you in court.

Interestingly, Enbridge said it’s not about the almost $2 million a day it makes pumping 23 million gallons of Alberta oil through the Straits, but that it is suing Michigan “for Michigan consumers.”

(Stop laughing!)

Spare me Enbridge’s alleged concerns for using Michigan as a high-risk shortcut to get Alberta oil to market in Canada and for export. Maybe that’s why Snyder and Enbridge also tried to amend the 1953 easement last year to remove the pledge to indemnify and hold harmless all Michigan victims of an oil spill.

Anyway, the legal war has started. Enbridge versus the state of Michigan.

This time we have an attorney general, Dana Nessel, and a governor, Gretchen Whitmer, working for the best interests of the public and our Great Lakes.

LEONARD PAGE

Cheboygan