https://www.startribune.com/whitmer-demands-answers-from-enbridge-on-pipeline-damage/571382462/
Whitmer demands answers from Enbridge on pipeline damage
By HERBERT G. McCANN Associated Press
June 19, 2020 — 9:30pm
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer demanded Friday that Enbridge Energy
provide proof that the damage to one of its dual oil pipelines under the
Straits of Mackinac will not pose a threat to the area.
The Alberta, Canada-based company closed its Line 5 pipeline under the
straits on Thursday after discovering that the anchor support had
shifted from its original position, company spokesman Ryan Duffy said
Friday in a statement.
Whitmer said the damage and how it occurred calls into question the
viability of the pipeline.
"That's why I am requesting Enbridge turn over to the State of Michigan
all relevant information about this most recent damage and provide
affirmative evidence that establishes the integrity of the pipeline,"
Whitmer said in a statement.
Duffy clarified that the problem does not affect the pipeline, which he
said was shut down as a precaution.
"We were transparent in notifying the State of Michigan and our federal
regulator (Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) on
Thursday, the same day we discovered the damage to the screw anchor
support assembly," Duffy said. "We will be providing the information the
Governor has requested."
According to Whitmer, the damaged anchor support lies approximately 150
feet (46 meters) from a section of the pipeline where damage to the
pipeline coating was discovered on or around May 26. She said the
company is gathering more information through divers, the use of a
remotely operated vehicle and other means.
"As Governor of the Great Lakes State I carry an immense burden to
protect this priceless treasure that defines the contours of our state
and our way of life," Whitmer wrote in her letter to Enbridge CEO Al
Monaco. "I anticipate and expect your full cooperation."
Reports on the problem with Pipeline 5 come after Enbridge reached an
agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay a $6.7
million fine for allegedly failing to quickly fix pipeline safety
issues. The EPA determined that Enbridge neglected to properly evaluate
thousands of "shallow dents" on its Lakehead Pipeline System, which runs
across northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.
Enbridge signed a consent decree in 2017 with the U.S. Justice
Department to resolve claims in 2010 from a massive oil spill in
Michigan and another pipeline leak in Illinois. The company paid $177
million and pledged to improve pipeline safety under that agreement.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month ruled Enbridge
has legally acceptable plans for dealing with a potential spills from
pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac. A strategy for dealing with an
oil spill in the event of a Line 5 failure is required under the Clean
Water Act.
The pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids used in propane from
Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. A four-mile (6.4 kilometer)
segment divides into two pipes that lie across the bottom of the
straits, which connect Lakes Huron and Michigan.
Mike Shriberg of the National Wildlife Federal and a former member of
Michigan's Pipeline Safety Advisory Board says the problems with Line 5
reported Thursday should result in its demise.
"How many more shoes have to drop until we stop putting the Great Lakes,
our drinking water, our economy and our way of life at risk?" Shriberg
said in a statement Friday. "The National Wildlife Federation applauds
Governor Whitmer and Attorney General Nessel for requiring Enbridge to
prove that Line 5 is safe."
Shriberg contends there have been at least 33 spills from the land-based
segments of the 67-year-old pipeline.
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