• Photo via Mackinac Bridge Authority

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Residents in favor of decommissioning Enbridge's Line 5 came to the Township Board meeting to voice their opinion.

Line 5 is a pipeline that travels through Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsula's, it splits into two pipelines that travel under the Straits of Mackinac.

Anna Fisher is a member of the Indivisible Environmental Action Committee, and says that the committee has been meeting since February of this year and submitted a resolution to the board to shut down Line 5.

"I would like to ask the township to join 26 cities in Michigan, 16 counties, and 26 townships who have already passed a resolution," Fisher said.

Supervisor Ron Styka brought it in front of the Board after he was given the proposed resolution, and says he tweaked some parts of it to fit their format.

Treasurer Julie Brixie moved to suspend rules so they could act on the resolution immediately, that motion was moved 7-0, it then became an action item.

The board passed the Line 5 Resolution unanimously, joining those 26 cities, 16 counties and 26 townships.

"Basically this is a pipeline that was installed in 1953 with a lifespan of 50 years, and it's been 64 years and this is a disaster waiting to happen," Fisher said. "As good stewards of these wonderful natural resources that we have, it's our responsibility to protect the great lakes and the waters that serve over 35 million people."