CEA’s third-party analysis, Line 5 Shutdown Impacts on Transportation Fuel, found that small businesses and families across Michigan would pay 11 percent more at the pump than they are paying today – over $2.2 billion annually – for transportation fuels if Line 5 is shut down. As a result, many small businesses across the state are talking about how this will affect their ability to operate and employ Michiganders.
For small business owners directly tied to fuel and transportation work, a shutdown would be even more devastating. David Rhoa, an entrepreneur from Kalamazoo, recently shared with me that fuel costs for his company’s fleet of vehicles increased more than 50 percent in the last year. He said a Line 5 shutdown would add to the significant pressure small businesses are already under and add costs during an already difficult economy. Small businesses are already under enough pressure, we don’t need to add more.
