A citizen’s group looking to stop a pipeline from being installed in Livingston County shared worries over entrapment zones and more at their latest meeting.

The Michigan Residents Against the ET Rover Pipeline, concerned environmentalists, and activists who have fought other pipelines across the country gathered in Hamburg Township, Tuesday evening. If completed, the 42-inch diameter ET Rover Pipeline would carry 3.25 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day up from Ohio, where it would cross Lenawee, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties before joining the Vector Pipeline in Fowlerville. Of special note to the group at this meeting was the direction the pipeline is proposed to be taking near Silver Lake, which would cross all 3 access routes to the several homes and camps in the area.

Wendy Zielan lives in that entrapment zone said that she’s examined the entirety of the pipeline plan and that Silver Lake is the only area without an escape route. She said that if something were to happen, there would no warning with their being no odorant in the gas, and nowhere to go. A map the group presented shows that 90 residences, the Pinckney Recreation Area, a hunting and fishing club, and the Ann Arbor YCMA camp could all be cut off in a worst case scenario. The group was in belief that while they are not advocating that anyone do anything illegal, that they need to step up their game and get more creative with how to stop the pipeline.

Attendees were given a crash course in “pipeline violations training” with things to look out for once construction begins in their area. They were encouraged to take pictures of violations like missing signage, improper or incorrect fencing, and illegal parking of construction vehicles. White or blue markers will signify the pipeline’s property. Residents should not go in-between them, but should look for debris that has fallen outside of them. Dust plumes from construction equipment moving, and mud from vehicles being tracked onto public roads should also be watched out for.

Instructions on what do with the pictures and the forms necessary to file a complaint are available on their website, a link for which is below. (MK)