Routing pipelines and cables under the lakebed may have serious impacts on aquatic habitat, cause pollution, and require costly maintenance.

Electric Cables

Electric transmission cables are typically strung overhead because of lesser costs for construction and maintenance. Buried cables, however, are currently coming into more frequent use because greater urban development has made it more difficult for energy companies to obtain right-of-way easements for overland energy infrastructure. However, burying or submerging transmission cables is not without environmental and logistical consequences. Placing transmission cables underground or underwater requires specific construction measures to ensure their safe and reliable operation. Once cables are constructed underground, there may be little flexibility to upgrade them when changes in the system are required.  Additionally, corrosion of underground cables can lead to failure of the cable transmission systems; repairs can be costly, environmentally destructive, and time-intensive.

Oil and Gas Pipelines

Oil and gas pipelines can transport gas, oil or be “multi-product” pipelines that transport several substances simultaneously. Additionally, once constructed, pipelines could conceivably be used to transport other hazardous substances. Pipelines can be buried under a lakebed using horizontal drilling methods, where drilling is angled under waterways, or by digging a trench. Dug in the lakebed for pipeline placement, trenches can be more disruptive than horizontal drilling. One potential problem with oil pipelines is leaks. These can be small, pinhole-sized leaks caused by the corrosion of the pipeline, or larger leaks or spills caused by damage from vessels.  Storms, currents, and the ditches created in the lakebed by ice formations (ice scour), can uncover pipelines. Pipelines in shallow waters, such as that of Lake Erie, must be inspected regularly to ensure that they remain buried. 

Contamination from oil spills or pipeline leaks can have a profound impact on nearshore areas. Coastal wetlands are a particular concern due to the numerous species, including fish that rely on them for spawning and feeding.  Fish eggs and larvae are particularly sensitive to oil. Oil also impairs an organism’s ability to function; animals covered by oil may not be able to regulate their body temperature and plants covered by oil may not be able to release oxygen. Oil in sediments can persist for years, causing liver disease and reproductive and growth problems in lake bottom-dwelling organisms. 
 

Great Lakes United opposes the construction of pipelines to transport fuels or other toxic substances across the lakebeds of the Great Lakes. Citizens and public interest organizations are encouraged to monitor proposals for new, large, utility projects, to participate in decision-making, and to promote the use of the precautionary principle, which requires applicants to demonstrate their projects will not be harmful to the environment, prior to approval of any permits.