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A new Senate bill would block new Great Lakes pipelines, require a safety review of the suddenly controversial Enbridge pipeline at the Straits of Mackinac and, according to the bill’s sponsor, lead to the shutdown of the Enbridge line. Me, I’ve already said I side with nature and caution, especially when we’re taking about a 63-year-old pipeline. But what say you?
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how can you ban something that’s been there for decades? Order it repaired/replaced.
Good point, Bill – headline written in haste. Fixed now tho!
Everybody knows these old pipes eventually will leak or break. If Enbridge offered to construct a new pipeline, we might consider that offer. But, we need to begin the process of shutting down the old pipes.
I used to know a guy who got a great price on a good house near Ann Arbor. Part of the deal, though, was that he had to take a 55-gallon drum, full of an unknown substance, in the garage at the house. The seller just wanted to leave it behind, would not say what was in it. So, my friend tried to live with this old barrel of something, knowing it probably was toxic, hoping it never would leak, hoping some fool would take it, if he ever wanted to sell the house in the future.
We cannot live with this old pipe across the Straits of Mackinac! Start the shut-down process.
Per Sen Jones web info, Enbridge was in Lansing lobbying against his bill immediately after its submission. No surprise. But the republican Sen Casperson from the UP is speaking against this saying Yoopers will suffer lack of fuel, natural gas if this pipeline is closed. Jones also a republican, counters there are alternate, safer ways to provide these essentials to the UP without risking the horrific environmental damage a breach in the pipeline would cause.
Riley’s…believe it or not. R vs R
It’s like Godzilla vs. Rodan
Let’s back up a minute to the previous report: an inspection done in 2013 showed some serious deterioration….etc.
Who did the inspection?
Was anything planned or ordered for correction of those issues? If so, where does that stand with regard to progress?
I do not have one speck of trust in the big companies like Enbridge–it’s all money to them.
THE MAXIMUM SPAN OR LENTH OF PIPE UNSUPPORTED SHALL NOT EXCEED SEVENTY-FIVE (75) FEET. This past spring Att. Gen. Bill Schuette and MDEQ chief Dan Wyant requested specific information from the company under the terms of the state’s easement agreement. In their response, Enbridge said there were a few spans that exceeded the 75 foot requirement, but that were working to resolve this issue by installing “ten foot long steel screws that are augured into the lake bed on either side of the lines and holds a steel saddle that permanently supports the line” They’ve been doing this work , they wrote since 2002 and they planned to install up to 42 additional anchors this summer. This info from, Mark Brush, Article Securing this Enbridge pipeline is one of the most Dangerous jobs in the world
Enbridge also says before the project started, we were in the 90 foot range, and after won’t have anything over73.
Who gave them the right to ignore the 75foot contract in the first place?
I have ZERO faith in oil companies, especially Enbridge. Any questions about that, look at the Kalamazoo River cluster with their broken pipe line there. Their 60 year old pipes have already been determined to be deteriorating. SHUT IT DOWN!
I live in one of those lakefront communities where it’s already been determined a spill would affect us. We rely on summer tourism dollars in our community which would go bye bye quickly with a spill. ONCE AGAIN, SHUT IT DOWN!!!
If you shut that down how many more in the state are that old or older. One in my front yard that is the same age. It runs under the flint river. I know the flint river isn’t as pristine as the straits but it would still have a horrible effect on the environment. Wonder how many of these lines are in the state that are on the verge of rupturing?
Enbridge, the folks that brought you the oil spill in the Kalamazoo River! Enough said?
04.19.16
Peters, Stabenow Urge Swift Risk Analysis & Alternatives Assessment of Line 5
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today sent a letter to the State of Michigan urging the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force to swiftly complete a full and independent risk analysis and alternatives assessment of Line 5 following a recent University of Michigan study modeling the disastrous effects of an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac. Peters and Stabenow also encouraged the State of Michigan to immediately address any current or potential violations of state law and the terms of the 1953 easement agreement that allows Enbridge to use the bottomlands of the Great Lakes. Line 5 is a 645-mile petroleum pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac, which has been called “the worst possible place for a spill” in the Great Lakes.
“The importance of the Great Lakes to Michigan’s economy, environment and way of life cannot be overstated, and we must weigh the benefits and costs of each and every alternative with that in mind. We can meet our energy needs while reducing the risk of catastrophe for current and future generations,” wrote Peters and Stabenow. “I urge you to move with the utmost speed and urgency to complete a transparent analysis of the Straits pipelines, including an independent review of pipeline conditions and a comprehensive alternatives assessment.”
Last month, the University of Michigan’s Water Center released a study illustrating the potential danger of an oil spill near the Straits of Mackinac. The study found that over 700 miles of Great Lakes coastline is potentially vulnerable to a spill from Line 5, depending on the size of the spill and the weather conditions. The project also concluded that there is an 80-90% probability that oil would hit the shores of Mackinac Island within 9-12 hours.
In the letter, Peters and Stabenow also highlighted concerns about the potential difficulties in cleaning up an oil spill in freshwater and especially under thick ice cover. Peters is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard and the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the federal agency that oversees pipeline safety.
“We have spoken with numerous Coast Guard officials and outside experts about oil spill response in unique bodies of water like the Great Lakes,” Peters and Stabenow also wrote. “While the U.S. Coast Guard is focused on spill response readiness in the region, they have acknowledged the inadequacy of current response methods, especially under certain conditions such as high waves and ice cover.”
The full text of the letter is copied below or available here:
The Honorable Rick Snyder
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909
Attorney General Bill Schuette
G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor
525 West Ottawa Street
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48909
Interim Director Keith Creagh
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
525 West Allegan Street
P.O. Box 30473
Lansing, MI 48909
Interim Director Bill Moritz
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Executive Division
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, MI 48909
Dear Governor Snyder, Attorney General Schuette, Director Creagh, and Director Moritz:
One of the most pressing items before the State of Michigan is to help prevent a catastrophic oil spill into the Great Lakes, especially from Enbridge’s Line 5 petroleum pipelines that run across the Straits of Mackinac. We must reduce or eliminate the threat of spills of hazardous liquids of all kinds while identifying ways to meet the energy demands of Michigan and the nation. We understand that the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force is implementing recommendations in order to accomplish these goals. However, every day that passes without a timeline for a final decision is another day with a 63-year-old oil pipeline at the bottom of the Great Lakes that poses a hazard to the people of Michigan. We strongly urge you to complete an independent risk analysis and a route alternatives assessment of Line 5 as soon as possible, as well as demand that Enbridge immediately address any demonstrated or potential violations of state law, especially the 1953 “Straits of Mackinac Pipe Line Easement.”
We have a number of concerns about the potential impacts of an oil spill at the Straits of Mackinac and the adequacy of current response capabilities. Recently, the University of Michigan’s Water Center released modeling that illustrates the dire consequences of a number of spill scenarios. They found that over 700 miles of Great Lakes coastline is potentially vulnerable to a spill from Line 5, depending on the size of the spill and the weather conditions. The project also concluded that there is an 80-90% probability that oil would hit the shores of Mackinac Island within 9-12 hours. While the Straits of Mackinac has been called “the worst possible place for a spill” in the Great Lakes because of powerful and rapidly changing currents, a failure of Line 5 would also be disastrous for other sensitive areas on land and at waterway crossings. One example is a long stretch of pipe in the Upper Peninsula, where a worst-case discharge scenario into a tributary could reach Lake Michigan.
We have spoken with numerous Coast Guard officials and outside experts about oil spill response in unique bodies of water like the Great Lakes. While the U.S. Coast Guard is focused on spill response readiness in the region, they have acknowledged the inadequacy of current response methods, especially under certain conditions such as high waves and ice cover.
Finally, we believe it is critical to verify that Line 5 is in compliance with all state and federal laws. As acknowledged in the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force report, the State’s 1953 Easement allows Enbridge to use the bottomlands of the Great Lakes, where the twin pipelines sit today. There are very real concerns about past, current, and potential breaches of this easement agreement, ranging from violation of the maximum span of unsupported pipe to violation of pipeline dimension requirements, such as wall thickness and exterior protections. It is essential to establish the legal compliance status of Line 5 and address any outstanding violations.
The importance of the Great Lakes to Michigan’s economy, environment and way of life cannot be overstated, and we must weigh the benefits and costs of each and every alternative with that in mind. We can meet our energy needs while reducing the risk of catastrophe for current and future generations. We urge you to move with the utmost speed and urgency to complete a transparent analysis of the Straits pipelines, including an independent review of pipeline conditions and a comprehensive alternatives assessment. In doing so, please establish whether or not the current pipeline status is in violation of state law. We stand ready to assist in this effort.
Yes! Immediately shut down all U.S. fossil fuel use! Shut down all coal production, all oil and gas production, all power plants and when there are but two or three hundred people left alive the North Koreans and/or Chinese can have this continent. Socialist heaven at last!