WEBBERVILLE, Mich., June 3, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- With a hand from some young helpers, Consumers
Energy recently released two dozen little turtles back into their
natural habitat after they were rescued during construction of the
energy provider's Mid-Michigan Pipeline Project.
Several children of Consumers Energy employees joined the turtle
release in rural Ingham County.
The turtles came from eggs of adult females carefully removed from
the pipeline path and were incubated and nurtured by Chelsea-based Herpetological Resource and
Management (HRM) with help from Sea Life Michigan Aquarium.
"It's become something of a tradition for us at Consumers Energy
to release turtles back into the wild each year, and we're proud to
do our part to preserve them as part of our commitment to
sustainable construction practices," said Brandon Hofmeister, Consumers Energy's senior
vice president of strategy, sustainability and external affairs.
"We're conscious of our role in protecting Michigan's wildlife and are committed to
efforts like this because we know it's right for our customers, the
communities we serve and the planet."
A video of the release can be viewed here.
Last fall, Consumers Energy released 56 turtles rescued during
the project. More recently, HRM rescued and incubated 24 turtle
eggs. Blanding's turtles are a protected species in Michigan. While they can live more than 80
years, they also have a maturity period of 15 to 20 years, which
makes them particularly vulnerable to predators.
Since 2009, Consumers Energy has worked with HRM to protect and
manage wetland wildlife along the path of its construction
projects. Over the course of two years on the Saginaw Trail
Pipeline, Consumers Energy and HRM saved more than 30 Blanding's
Turtle eggs before returning mature juveniles to the habitat after
construction was completed and rescued/relocated nearly 30,000
amphibians and reptiles out of the construction pathway.
Consumers Energy's Mid-Michigan Pipeline replaces about 55 miles
of natural gas pipeline in Washtenaw, Livingston, Ingham, Shiawassee and Clinton counties. The two-phase, $550 million project will replace vintage 20-inch
pipeline dating back to the 1940s with new 36-inch pipeline that
helps us move natural gas more quickly, safely and efficiently. The
project is slated for completion this fall.
Consumers Energy is Michigan's
largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity
to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan calls for
eliminating coal as an energy source by 2025, achieving net-zero
carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers' energy needs through
clean sources, including wind and solar.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
Check out Consumers Energy on Social
Media
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SOURCE Consumers Energy