Pipelines endanger Great Lakes

Oil and water do not mix. There are two 20 inch diameter oil pipelines at the bottom of the 270-feet-deep Straits of Mackinac.

They transport 20 million gallons of oil a day from Canada across part of our beautiful countryside. They are made of steel, are 62 years old and in danger of leaking from corrosion. Zebra mussels attached to them are secreting a corrosive acid. Necessary supports have already failed.

Enbridge of Canada owns the pipelines. Chicago and the suburbs depend on clean Lake Michigan water for drinking. The Great Lakes holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water.

Enbridge's assurances of no danger are weak. They have a poor track record.

We demand that our governors and lawmakers protect the Great Lakes by shutting down and removing these dangerous pipelines to protect our environment according to the principles of Pope Francis' new encyclical.

Energy can be clean and abundant. We have not even begun to tap into geothermal energy. It is another of God's gifts to us and further reason to honor our Creator.

George E. Bedingfield

Arlington Heights