EDITOR:

Well, Enbridge et.al, suffer from a serious case of fake news. Yep…fake news. Their full page ad contained enough baloney to make sandwiches for everyone in Michigan. But you better be careful. That baloney may actually be that new vegetable fake meat though. Apparently Enbridge is in bed now with the United Association of Union Plumbers, Fitters, Welders and HVACR Service Techs and the Michigan Chamber and Operating Engineers’. They got these groups to send a letter to Governor Whitmer threatening her to let the Line 5 issue go away. They claim that 25,000 jobs are at stake now and that more will be lost if the tunnel isn’t built. Holy Toledo Batman, 25,000 jobs on Line 5 which is entirely underground and water. Do these welders, pipefitters, plumbers and HVACR workers work inside the pipeline? No, they don’t.

This is goofy news because Brad Shamla, VP of U.S. Operations, Enbridge, stated in 2015 they have “approximately” 250 statewide employees and contractors on payroll in 24 locations.” And in regard to propane, I was told by Enbridge representatives at a meeting that the only propane extraction facility in Michigan is in Rapid River. Unless that’s fake news. And I was told that zero propane came back to Michigan from their Canadian plants. Unless this is fake news also.

Michiganders, you can’t believe a word they say because all they care about are their wallets. And in regard to propane shortages, Ferrell Gas supplies Wisconsin, including northern Wisconsin and communities in the U.P. as far east as Sault St. Marie. Madison doesn’t get their propane from Line 5, and Ferrell would love to cash in by supplying us here. There will be no shortage period. Enbridge’s tactics are repulsive and divisive. They are pitting unions, colleagues, families and friends against each other.

Thousands of Michiganders rely on tourism year after year and thousands belong to their respective unions. Once oil is in the lake, watersheds and bottomlands it can never be removed. At the Petoskey Symposium, an expert in oil removal told everyone that “a cleanup is considered a success if 30 percent of the oil can be recovered.” Wow, 30 percent. Isn’t that great? One spot along the Kalamazoo River revealed oil is still under the soil next to the “cleaned” river. That’s just a minuscule portion of the 70 percent that wasn’t removed. It’s just not worth taking the risk at the Straights and shorelines along upper Lake Michigan, lower Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. How can anyone throw our Pure Michigan under the bus?

And we can’t blame the workers because they just want employment. It’s Enbridge’s Corporate culture to blame. The snake always rots at the head first and it really stinks.

Gerry Niedermaier

Gladstone