Environmental groups say now is the time for Governor Whitmer to shut down the Line 5 pipeline permanently.
Last week, Enbridge Energy notified the state of “significant damage” sustained by part of its dual pipelines running beneath the straits.
Liz Kirkwood is with the environmental group, For the Love of Water. She said the damage is part of a long history of violations.
“You have to stop and ask yourself what are we waiting for. There is no more evidence that we need. The list of violations is extraordinary.”
Beth Wallace is with the National Wildlife Federation.
“At this point, we are definitely calling on the Governor to use her executive authority to immediately revoke the easement in this location because Enbridge is not showing they can operate this pipeline with due care.”
Last week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Enbridge had been fined roughly $7-million by the EPA for failing to quickly address pipeline safety issues.
Over the weekend Governor Whitmer called on the company to shut down both pipeline segments after Enbridge resumed using its western leg. Whitmer said the segments should remain offline until an investigation into the damage occurs.
The company declined to do so saying “our federal regulator had no objection to this plan.”