To the Journal editor:

Considering all the home heating energy options available (wood, natural gas, oil, propane, electricity), it is rather telling that recent Mining Journal articles and letters to the editor about Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force appear to focus on propane.

Although the UPETF members will presumably thoroughly, scientifically and unbiasedly study and identify the benefits, drawbacks and insecurities of all sources of home heating energy, it is clear to me that this study is just a thinly veiled attempt by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to come up with reasons and support for shutting down Enbridge’s Line 5, the current source of our propane.

Whitmer campaigned for office on a “shutdown line 5” platform. Although her predecessor engineered a 2017 agreement with Enbridge to construct a tunnel under the Straits within 10 years, and Enbridge has stated it can complete the work significantly sooner, Gov. Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel continue to look for ways to shut it down.

Anti-Line 5’ers focus on how insignificant the volume of Upper Peninsula propane usage is, yet hide from us Yoopers the fact that many Michiganders in the Lower Peninsula rely on propane from Line 5, and some Michigan and Ohio refineries get their crude from Line 5.

They also try to scare us by using words such as “old,” “deteriorating” and “churning straits waters” in regards to Line 5. The Mackinaw Bridge and the Line 5 Straits crossing (twin 0.8″ thick steel pipes) are about the same age and neither are significantly deteriorating.

We are all in this together, Anishinaabe, Canadians, Michiganders, Yoopers, Lowpers, Ohioans, etc. In my opinion, Yooper’s “insignificant” use of propane, Yooper ignorance of other users of Line 5 products, Enbridge’s Canadian status, Line 5’s Ontario end point, and pipeline age are not valid reasons to shut down Line 5.

In some way, we all rely on petroleum products for heat, transportation, etc. Petroleum must be transported from it source to where it is used. Pipelines can be safe, efficient, cost effective.

The longer tunnel construction is delayed, the longer the potential environmental hazard will exist. Whitmer and Nessel should get out of the way and let an unpoliticized tunnel permit process and construction proceed.

Enbridge should quit schmoozing us with its hokey public relations advertising campaign, put that money and effort into tunnel construction and pipeline maintenance, repair and replacement and be 100% honest with us.