Line-5 Update

Enbridge Refuses to Comply With Governor Whitmers’ Order

Enbridge will not comply with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to shutdown Line 5 Pipeline by May, will not comply with easement revocation.

Governor Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger received a 7-page letter from Enbridge’s executive vice president, Vern Yu, questioning the order to shutdown Line 5. Stating “the Dual Pipelines will continue to operate safely until they are replaced on completion of the Tunnel Project.”

Line-5 continues to pose a catastrophic threat to the Great Lakes Waters that the Grand Traverse Band and other Michigan tribes have fiercely opposed. The 67-year-old pipeline was designed for a 50-year lifespan and with multiple shutdowns in 2020, due to damaged “ATC lines” and a reported “screw anchor support had shifted from its original position” it is clear Line-5 needs to be halted. Line-5 transports up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil (432,00 barrels) and natural gas (108,00 barrels) from Wisconsin to Ontario through the Straits of Mackinac.

With threats to a variety of unique and sensitive ecosystems, threats to wildlife populations, wild rice populations, and even groundwater, it is paramount that Line-5 be shutdown. Line-5 is an unacceptable risk to our collective health and wellbeing. It comes as no surprise that Enbridge would attempt to disregard the Governor’s orders and have stated they will not cease operations without a court order.

“Enbridge cannot unilaterally decide when laws and binding agreements apply and when they do not,” wrote DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “We look forward to making our case in court, not via letters and press releases.”

Written by: James Sullivan - Editor Photo credit: Jared Sonderegger

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