The state is requesting more information about Enbridge’s line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Officials want to know whether the company has complied with its 1953 easements with the state.
The request is part of a review initiated by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to see how Enbridge has complied with the easement and to look for “possible violations.”
Ed Golder is with the Michigan DNR. He said the department is requesting information about any strikes, breaks, or leaks along the pipe over its lifespan.
“There's a whole series of things that we determined that we didn’t have enough information on as we conducted an internal review of the information that already existed in our department and other state departments on line 5.”
“We’re just doing our due diligence on this question the Governor has asked us to look into,” he said.
A spokesperson for Enbridge said they have received the state’s request and the pipeline “has been operating safely and reliably since it was constructed more than 60 years ago.”
Enbridge has 30 days to respond to the state’s request for information.
Golder said there is no timeline for completing the review.
You can read Enbridge’s full statement below:
Enbridge has received the State of Michigan’s information request. Line 5, which crosses the Straits of Mackinac, has been operating safely and reliably since it was constructed more than 60 years ago. The pipeline is an essential part of Michigan’s energy infrastructure system, helping Michiganders heat their homes and powering business across the State and region. We are committed to making a safe pipeline even safer by investing $500 million in the construction of a tunnel under the Straits to house the pipeline – thereby further protecting the waters of the Great Lakes and everyone who uses them.