Straits Of Mackinac Pipeline: 5 Facts About Plugging Line 5

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Thursday called on Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy to release a timeline to shut down Line 5, its aging dual petroleum pipelines that run under the Straits of Mackinac, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. Line 5 recently passed safety inspections, meaning it could operate indefinitely, but scientists have warned that a pipeline break could create an environmental catastrophe.

Schuette said in a news release that he “strongly” disagrees with the conclusions in a 337-page analysis on the safety of Line 5 conducted by an independent contractor Det Norske Veritas Inc. The report basically gives Enbridge the go-ahead to operate the aging pipelines in perpetuity, but Schuette says “the next steps we take should be for the long-term protection of the Great Lakes.”

The state fired the contractor after learning one of its employees had worked simultaneously on the Line 5 risk assessment and another project. At the time, the attorney general said the employee had a conflict of interest that tainted the assessment. The new report was completed by Dynamic Risk Assessment, which was hired at the same time as DNV in 2016.

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On Thursday, Schuette said discussions about the future of Line 5 should include not only the “safety and security” of the Great Lakes, but also the needs of those who depend on the pipeline for propane to heat their homes or for employment.

John Gauderman, Enbridge’s director of operations in its Chicago office, said the line is in “outstanding condition” in a Thursday morning conference call with reporters, due largely to the firm’s “rigorous maintenance” over 60 years.

Built in 1953, the 645-mile Line 5 runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Canada, transporting 450,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas liquids a day. The single line splits into two 20-inch lines 250 feet below the surface of the Straits and then becomes a single line again .

“The reliability of our pipeline systems is our top priority,” Gauderman said, noting the company’s Line 5 maintenance schedule exceeds federal requirements “to meet our goal of protecting Michigan’s environment.”

Shutting down Line 5 isn’t as simple as plugging it, Schuette said, who offered five takeaways from the report:

1.One alternative to the pipeline is the construction of a tunnel under the Straits, which would create both infrastructure and construction jobs, but would also allow for visual inspection, Schuette said.

2. He called on the Legislature to outright ban the transport of heavy crude and tar sands through the straits. Under the current agreement between the state and Enbridge, both tar sands and heavy crude are prohibited.

3. Propane processing in Rapid River, Michigan, or a similar supply of propane for families living on the Upper Peninsula must be provided to ensure their heating needs are met, Schuette said.

4. Any closure of Line 5 should protect Michigan’s energy industry and the jobs associated with it, according to the attorney general.

5. Finally, Schuette called for the creation of a Michigan pipeline authority modeled after the Mackinac Bridge Authority. Such an entity would provide recommendations to the Federal Pipeline Safety Authority on behalf of Michigan residents, as well as oversee the decommissioning of Line 5 and other issues related to propane and energy production in Michigan.

Four public information sessions will be held to collect feedback on the report:

• July 6, 5 p.m.: Holt High School, 5885 Holt Road, Holt
• July 24, 8 a.m.: Holt High School, 4885 Holt Road, Holt
• July 24: 6 p.m: Hagert Center at Northwestern Michigan College, 715 East Front St., Traverse City
• July 25, 6 p.m.: Little Bear East Arena, 275 Marquette St., St. Ignace

David Schwab, a research scientist at the University of Michigan Water Center, has warned there is no other place on the Great Lakes where an oil spill would affect as wide an area in a short amount of time as the Straits of Mackinac.

Image: The sun sets on the Straits of Mackinac (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)