As the state’s May 12 deadline for Canadian oil company Enbridge to shut down its Line 5 pipeline looms, Gov. One reason why Enbridge is unlikely to shut down Line 5 is because it believes Michigan lacks the legal authority to force a shutdown. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been reviewing the giant oil company’s easement compliance since last summer. Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership is seeking approval to build a utility tunnel and to replace and relocate the portion of the Line 5 pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac. Related: See a timeline of the pipeline’s history. The proposed tunnel would follow the same route below the existing west pipeline. According to the notice sent to Enbridge, the easement violated the public trust “from its inception" because the risks of a rupture and spill are too high. “Transporting millions of gallons of petroleum products each day through two 67-year old pipelines that lie exposed in the Straits below uniquely vulnerable and busy shipping lanes presents an extraordinary, unreasonable threat to public rights because of the very real risk of further anchor strikes and other external impacts to the Pipelines, the inherent risks of pipeline operations, and the foreseeable, catastrophic effects if an oil spill occurs at the Straits,” the notice said. Immediate. 19. LANSING — Michigan's attorney general and environmental groups are pushing back on claims that Michigan could see fuel shortages and price spikes if Enbridge's hotly debated Line 5 … A portion of the 645-mile pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac. It won't be enforced. (WWJ) Governor Gretchen Whitmer is taking legal action to force the shutdown of the Line 5 Pipeline that links Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The products moved on Line 5 heat homes and businesses, fuel vehicles, and power industry in the state of Michigan. Gretchen Whitmer set tomorrow's deadline for Enbridge to shut down its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline through the state. Michigan regulators approve Enbridge Line 5 tunnel permits. Enbridge has submitted permit applications for work within wetland areas, water discharges and under the submerged lands portions of NREPA. Line 5 flows 540,000 b/d, including 75,000 b/d of propane for about 55% of Michigan needs, led by two-thirds of requirements in northern parts of the state. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 5/1/2021). The line … “Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs.”. (Figure 1), Location chosen by Enbridge adjacent to the existing North Straits Facility as the preferred location for the north side tunnel entrance. Enbridge said in a statement that Line 5 is in compliance with the easement and “there is no credible basis” for pulling the easement. Enbridge’s Line 5 is a 645-mile, 30-inch-diameter pipeline that travels through Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, originating in Superior, Wisconsin, and terminating in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Line 5 opponents contend that keeping the pipeline operational poses the biggest economic risk by threatening jobs that rely upon the Great Lakes and imperiling a key drinking water source. “Line 5 remains safe, as envisioned by the 1953 Easement, and as recently validated by our federal safety regulator.”, Enbridge accused the state of not being transparent and not engaging with Enbridge in its assessment of the company’s compliance with the easement. Over 80 million barrels of Michigan-produced crude have been transported in Line 5 since 1999. Whitmer on Nov. 13 announced she would revoke a 1953 easement with Enbridge allowing Line 5's siting on the state-controlled lake bottom where Lakes Michigan … A court decision in Michigan could have major implications for the energy security of Ontario and Quebec. A 30” diameter, 645-mile pipeline that carries light crude oil and liquid propane from Superior, Wis., through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and then splits into two 20-inch diameter parallel pipelines that cross just west of the Mackinac Bridge on the lake floor of the 4.6-mile long Straits of Mackinac (which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron). Line 5 carries oil from Superior, Wisconsin, across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, through northern Michigan, down to the thumb region, and under the St. Clair River to Sarnia, Ontario. Enbridge Line 5 is a major oil pipeline in the Enbridge Lakehead System, which conveys petroleum from western Canada to eastern Canada via the Great Lakes states. Line 5 has operated without incident at the Straits of Mackinac for more than 65 years. Products moved on Line 5 heat homes and businesses, fuel vehicles, and power industry in the state of Michigan. Michigan Gov. Line 5 transports natural gas liquids to a facility in the Upper Peninsula town of Rapid River, where propane is extracted and distributed by truck to … Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. “It’s going to benefit the Great Lakes by removing what is probably the single biggest threat to water quality in the region.”. In a statement, Nessel said Whitmer and DNR Director Dan Eichinger, “are making another clear statement that Line 5 poses a great risk to our state, and it must be removed from our public waterways.”. Enbridge Line 5 Straits of Mackinac – September 22, 2020. What is the proposed Mackinac Straits Dual Pipelines Replacement Project? Citing concerns over the environmental damage a … One simulation project examining 840 possible spills found more than 1,100 kilometres of Michigan shoreline would be at risk in the event of a Line 5 rupture, not to mention Ontario’s Manitoulin Island and Bruce Peninsula. “This notice and the report from Michigan Department of Natural Resources are a distraction from the fundamental facts,” said Vern Yu, Executive Vice President and President, Liquids Pipelines. The tunnel will house a replacement segment for the Line 5 petroleum pipelines that currently sit on the bottom of the Straits and will accommodate other utilities to improve infrastructure connections between the peninsulas. For over six decades, Line 5 has carried natural gas liquids and light crude oil to this state. Line 5 is particularly notable for passing under the environmentally sensitive Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.As of December 2013, the line carries 540,000 barrels (86,000 m 3) of oil per day. The proposed tunnel would follow the same route below the existing west pipeline. The new lawsuit is in addition to Nessel’s lawsuit filed in 2019 seeking the shutdown of Line 5, which remains pending in the same court. Accurate. MSCA will own the tunnel after its construction and provide independent oversight throughout its life. “Simply put, Michigan law requires that the pipelines be shut down and the Notice provides a timely and orderly process for achieving that,” she said. Whitmer's order set a … Line 5 currently crosses the straits from Point LaBarbe in the Upper Peninsula to McGulpin Point in the Lower Peninsula – the shortest distance between the two peninsulas. ‘Battle is not over.’ Fight to stop oil line has waged for years, Line 5 tunnel law upheld by Michigan Court of Appeals, Line 5 opponents urge shut down ahead of tunnel hearing, State calls for Enbridge to prove it can cover spill costs, Line 5 supporters and opponents come out in force. It carries crude oil and natural gas liquids from Wisconsin to Ontario, across both Michigan peninsulas. Whitmer signed an executive order in 2019 creating the Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force. Environmental groups have long called for revocation of the easement. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Concurrently, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also filed a new complaint in Ingham County Circuit Court, asking a judge to uphold the governor’s actions and enforce the easement revocation. Gretchen Whitmer is ordering the controversial Enbridge Line 5 pipeline be shut down, citing multiple violations by the company of its 1953 easement along with the state’s duty to protect the Great Lakes. Opponents of shutting down the line say it would cut off energy to residents of Michigan, especially those in the Upper Peninsula. Enbridge has long maintained that the aging pipeline is safe. According to Enbridge, Line 5′s resources supplies 65% of the propane used in the Upper Peninsula. The State of Michigan, the Federal Government, and Line 5 34. On Tuesday, Enbridge filed nearly 50 pages of legal arguments in response […] Line 5 supplies 65% of propane demand in the Upper Peninsula, and 55% of Michigan… Under the 1953 easement, support structures for Line 5 are to be placed every 75 feet. What is Line 5? In the spring of 2018, a freighter dragged an anchor across the line and caused some damage. Last November the Department of Natural Resources concluded that Enbridge was in violation of its 1953 easement agreement. Shortly after … Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Gretchen Whitmer’s lawsuit to enforce the shutdown still remains in flux while a federal judge decides which court will preside over the case. Michigan maintains Line 5 is a threat to that very determination, despite almost seven decades of successful operation, a 2018 agreement to build a … Line 5 refers to the light crude oil and natural gas liquids pipeline that extends from Superior, Wisconsin, through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and then across the U.S.-Canada international border to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. May 3, 2021 Enbridge has hundreds of miles of pipeline connecting Canadian oil to Midwest America, but a 4.5 mile stretch of Line 5 under the Great Lakes is at the center of a legal fight with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer . A 2016 study from University of Michigan scientists found that a spill in Line 5 could sully up to 152 miles of shoreline in lakes Michigan and Huron. At issue is the route of Line 5, which passes through the narrows that connect Lake Michigan with Lake Huron, called the Straits of Mackinac, … That easement was granted by the State of Michigan. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Subscribe today for news you need now. Families and businesses in the Upper Peninsula rely on Line 5 to meet 65% of their propane demand. Review and permitting decisions for the proposed project will involve multiple state agencies. Whitmer said Enbridge violated the public trust doctrine - an area of law that makes the state the “trustee” of Great Lakes public bottomlands. The proposed tunnel would house the replacement segment for the Line 5 petroleum pipeline that sits on the bottom of the Straits. The MPSC authorizes proposals for energy infrastructure including intrastate and interstate crude oil and petroleum product pipelines by authority of Public Act 16 of 1929 and operates in a quasi-judicial manner with the Commission making final decisions through a formal evidentiary hearing process, otherwise known as a contested case proceeding. (Figure 2B), EGLE Online Informational sessions and public hearings on Line 5 tunnel application Sept 8 - Oct 8, EGLE decision documents for proposed Mackinac Straits tunnel, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Public comment for the proposed Straits Replacement Project - Act 16 Application with the MPSC, View Recording of the September 8th NPDES Public Meeting, View Recording of the September 15th NPDES Public Meeting, View Recording of September 10th Resource Public Meeting, View Recording of the September 21st Resource Public Meeting, iew recording of the September 29th NPDES Public Hearing, View the recording of the October 6th NPDES Public Hearing, View Recording of October 1st Public Hearing, MDOT Question on Geotechnical Investigation, January 2021, MDOT Question on Collapses in Terms of Loss of Face Control, January 2021, MDOT Question on Risk Mitigation, January 2021, MDOT Question on Gas Encounters, January 2021, MDOT Question on Vibrations, January 2021, MDOT Question on Slurry Containment, January 2021, EGLE approves permits for proposed Mackinac Straits tunnel, Public comment period closes for Enbridge Line 5 tunnel proposal, EGLE to hold informational sessions, public hearings on Line 5 tunnel application, MPSC to hold public hearing on Enbridge's request for siting authority to replace, relocate Line 5 in Straits of Mackinac. LANSING, MI -- Michigan Gov. Essential. “Here in Michigan, the Great Lakes define our borders, but they also define who we are as people,” Whitmer said in a statement. This website is intended to provide an overview of the routine regulatory permitting process that the proposed project will require. The line transports 22.68 million gallons per day of crude oils and natural gas liquids to later become propane. Facebook Share. All rights reserved (About Us). Enbridge's (NYSE:ENB) Line 5 pipeline that runs across the Mackinac Strait between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is a "ticking time bomb" and would be … Line 5 opponents, meanwhile, contend that any near-term benefits for Enbridge and Michigan consumers are far outweighed by the risks Michigan could incur by allowing the pipeline’s petroleum to remain flowing. Public comment on the EGLE permits closed on October 19, 2020. dragged an anchor across the line and caused some damage. The state’s notice goes on to say that Enbridge has repeatedly violated the easement by not exercising due care and maintenance when operating the pipeline. It allows Line 5 to lie on the lake bed of the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Michigan … (Figure 2A), Location chosen by Enbridge adjacent to the existing Mackinac Station as the preferred location for the south side tunnel entrance. What is Enbridge Line 5? Gretchen Whitmer is ordering the controversial Enbridge Line 5 pipeline be shut down, citing multiple violations by … The Canadian company has until May 2021 to stop the flow of oil and natural gas through the line, according to Whitmer. 35. The company said it is still reviewing the assessment by the DNR and will “provide a more thorough response through the legal process.”, The 1953 easement gives Enbridge authority to use the state-owned lake bottom, but Whitmer said Enbridge has repeatedly violated the easement “by ignoring structural problems that put our Great Lakes and our families at risk.”. Its members routinely meet to assess the energy needs of the UP and look for alternative energy supplies and methods of distribution. But as … Native American tribes say the risk of an oil spill from the Line 5 oil pipeline poses a “grave threat” to their right to hunt, fish and gather in northern Michigan and the Great Lakes. The State of Michigan holds the easement for Line 5, while the Federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration oversees pipeline regulation. The Imperial Oil refinery, located near Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered shut down in May 2021, in Sarnia, Ont., March 20, 2021. However, Enbridge disclosed this past June that the pipelines had been struck again in 2019 by anchors or cables. Built in 1953 and designed to last 50 years, the Line 5 pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin, across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through the open waters of Straits of Mackinac, and across the Lower Peninsula, before crossing under the St. Clair River to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario. Enbridge’s Line 5 is a 645-mile petroleum pipeline that is part of the larger Enbridge Lakehead System. The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) within the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for overseeing construction and operation of a tunnel in bedrock beneath the waters of the Straits of Mackinac. Updated Jan 29, 2021; Posted Jan 29, 2021 . LANSING, MI -- Michigan Gov. Line 5, an existing pipeline in operation for 68 years, runs from Superior, Wisconsin, through the upper peninsula of Michigan, across the Straits of … “This is a brave and just decision for the Great Lakes,” said Mike Shriberg, regional executive director, Great Lakes, for the National Wildlife Federation. Line 5 currently crosses the straits from Point LaBarbe in the Upper Peninsula to McGulpin Point in the Lower Peninsula – the shortest distance between the two peninsulas. The principal laws EGLE considers when evaluating pipeline projects that impact water resources fall under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act of 1994 (NREPA). © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. No oil was spilled. As I have listened to the debate over Line 5, it is clear to me what the pipeline means for our region and how closing it would affect us all. The clash over Calgary-based Enbridge’s Line 5, which carries up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids across Michigan and under … Refineries in the Detroit area refine 30 percent of the crude oil transferred by the pipeline. “Most importantly, Enbridge has imposed on the people of Michigan an unacceptable risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes that could devastate our economy and way of life," she said. The MPSC will consider Enbridge’s request to replace and relocate the portion of the Line 5 pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac into a tunnel beneath the Straits. (Figure 1) Project Overview Map (north) Line 5 helps heat Michigan homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, fuels vehicles, and powers industry by safely and reliably transporting light crude oil, light synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL). 36. A 4-mile section of Line 5 runs along the bottom of the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. 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