LANSING — Today, Michigan’s Senate Republicans held a tone-deaf press conference in favor of pumping oil through Enbridge’s aging and dangerous Line 5 pipeline.

The Republican press conference occurred on the same day another oil pipeline ruptured spilling thousands of gallons of oil in Branch County. A Line 5 rupture in the Straits of Mackinac would impact 700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and wreak havoc on Michigan’s economy, which relies on the Great Lakes waterways.

“Michigan Republicans clearly don’t live in reality as our communities continue to experience devastating oil spills that have the potential to threaten our very wellbeing,” said Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes. “Line 5 is a ticking timebomb that could destroy jobs and devastate our economic prosperity as a state. It’s time that Republicans stop shilling for the same oil companies that continue to jack up the price of gas and endanger Michiganders with their reckless pipelines.”

The Line 5 dual pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac are not safe to operate as they continue to suffer wear and tear. A rupture would be devastating for families, small businesses, Michigan, and the country as a whole:

• The Great Lakes are home to 21% of the world’s fresh surface water and supply drinking water for 48 million people, including 5 million here in Michigan.
• The lakes support 1.3 million jobs that generate $82 billion in wages annually across the United States.

• In Michigan itself, the Great Lakes support over 350,000 jobs.

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