Sierra Club expresses concern over Enbridge's Line Five

The Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club was in Marquette Monday. Members of the club and the public were at the Peter White Public Library to discuss the Enbridge Line five pipe line that runs underneath the Straits of Mackinac.

Members of the club cite studies from the University of Michigan that say if the pipeline were to start leaking it could be disastrous for the Great Lakes.

The pipeline is 64 years old and runs from Superior, Wisconsin down to Sarnia, Ontario. Sierra Club members say they want Upper Peninsula residents to be aware of the potential danger.

"A University of Michigan Researcher has described it as the worst possible place for an oil spill," said David Holtz, Chairperson for the Sierra Club, Michigan. "We're concerned about this pipeline and what the impact of an oil rupture could be on the economy and environment of the U.P., the Straits of Mackinac, the whole state really."

Despite oil spills, including one in the Hiawatha National Forest, one near Saginaw Bay and one in downstate Marshall, Enbridge has maintained that the Line Five is safe and closely monitored.

Members of the Sierra Club also discussed the importance of environmental issues in the coming election.