Enbridge Line 5 is a vital part of the economy and infrastructure of the Midwest. This pipeline, directly, and indirectly, provides thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the region. The USW represents nearly four hundred operation and maintenance employees at PBF Energy’s Toledo Refining Company. Their livelihoods rely on the light crude oil that Line 5 transports to manufacture transportation fuels and other chemicals. In addition, Steelworker members throughout Michigan rely on Line 5 to provide propane in order to heat their homes.

There are no feasible and prudent alternatives of supply that would sustain the current level of operation at the PBF Toledo refinery. The refinery does not have the infrastructure available to receive the needed supply by rail or truck. A shutdown of Line 5 puts the viability of the refinery and Steelworker jobs in peril.

Meanwhile, Enbridge is currently working to construct a tunnel to enclose a replacement pipeline under the Straits. This solution will protect the waterway, avert catastrophic economic damage in the region, and eliminate the increased environmental risks to Michigan road and railway communities associated with a Line 5 shutdown. The tunnel will also provide increased economic activity and infrastructure that opens the possibility of expanded utilities in other sectors by providing a safe passage deep below the Straights, such as broadband expansion to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula .

It is imperative that you work with all stakeholders, particularly union workers, and the public to find an equitable solution to protect jobs, the economy, and the environment. We urge you to allow Line 5 to continue operating until your administration is able to review, permit, and build the proposed replacement tunnel project.