A state board plans to review problems with Enbridge Energy’s Line Five oil and gas pipeline at a meeting Monday. The Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory is expected to discuss what should be done after portions of a protective coating were accidentally removed. That was on a stretch of the oil and gas pipe system that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Nick Assendelft is the safety board’s spokesman.
“I think the discussion will be on how to move forward with on that, and how to work with Enbridge to get those coatings repaired.”
Assendelft says the board will discuss what should be done about that.
“The board exists to make sure that pipelines throughout the state of Michigan are run in a safe way for the residents of Michigan and the environment.”
Valerie Brader is the director of the Michigan Agency for Energy and co-chair of the pipeline safety board.
“It would be really convenient if you could just go online and see a map. Right? Here’s where it is. Here’s where it crosses. Here’s how close it gets to my house, or my kid’s school, or whatever.”
That information is already available, but only on a county-by-county basis. Brader says the restrictions were put in place over security concerns. But she says it makes more sense for the public to have easy access to a more-complete map.