Line 5 pipeline a ‘ticking time bomb,’ must be shut down by he Michigan governor’s office says a key petroleum pipeline for Central Canada that runs through the Great Lakes state is a “ticking time bomb” and that Calgary-based operator Enbridge Inc. would be breaking the law if it doesn’t shut this down next week as ordered.
Bobby Leddy, press secretary to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, said the governor’s position is that Enbridge must stop operating Line 5 by May 12.
“As of that date, Enbridge’s continued operation of the Line 5 pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac would be unlawful,” Mr. Leddy said in a statement.
Last November, Ms. Whitmer, citing the risk of an oil spill, announced that she would revoke an easement granted in 1953 that allows Line 5 to cross the Straits of Mackinac, a waterway in the state. Her order was to take effect no later than May 12.
Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. has challenged Ms. Whitmer’s order in U.S. federal court. Michigan and Enbridge have been in court-ordered mediation since mid-April. Enbridge has proposed building an underwater tunnel to better protect the pipeline as it crosses the Straits of Mackinac but this will take several years.
Enbridge has said it would not shut down the pipeline without a court order.
And the Canadian government has said it believes that Enbridge would not be required to comply with the May 12 deadline because it’s still in mediation with the state of Michigan.
The Governor’s office position, however, adds uncertainty to the situation.
Her press secretary said Ms. Whitmer stands by her decision.
“The Great Lakes support over 1.3 million jobs that generate $82 billion in wages annually across the United States, including 350,000 jobs in Michigan. We cannot risk the devastating economic, environmental, and public health impacts of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes,” Mr. Leddy said.
“These oil pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac are a ticking time bomb, and their continued presence violates the public trust and poses a grave threat to Michigan’s environment and economy. The governor fully stands behind her decision to revoke and terminate the 1953 easement, while securing Michigan’s energy needs.”
Line 5, which carries Western Canadian petroleum through the Great Lakes States and then back into Canada, is a key energy conduit for Ontario and Quebec.
Without Line 5, Ontario would be about 45 per cent short of the crude oil it requires, according to Enbridge. The supply from Line 5 is used, among other things, to produce gasoline and diesel for Ontario.
The pipeline from Michigan is also a critical source of supply for the Line 9 pipeline that runs from Ontario to Quebec and provides 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the crude oil that is used by Quebec refineries to make gasoline and other fuels.
Businesses have warned that a shutdown could also trigger significant layoffs of refinery jobs in Sarnia, Ont., and would be a blow to Western Canadian crude producers as well. Ontario has warned the shutdown will cost more than 5,000 direct jobs as well as more than 23,000 indirect jobs.
Michigan’s Mr. Leddy said Enbridge has had adequate warning.
“Last November, the governor and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources issued a Notice of Termination and Revocation of the 1953 easement to Enbridge. That easement is necessary for Enbridge to operate its oil pipelines that run through the Great Lakes. The notice gave Enbridge 180 days to arrange for shutdown, and subsequent decommissioning, of the pipelines. That180 dayperiod expires on May 12.”
More to come