The Michigan Public Service Commission ruled that Enbridge must get its approval to move Line 5 into a tunnel it already had permission to build below the Straits of Mackinac, teeing up a lengthy public debate.
The founder of Bell’s Brewery had a front-row seat to a massive Enbridge oil spill near Kalamazoo in 2010, and he has no patience for those who want to give Enbridge the benefit of the doubt on Line 5.
After a judge ordered the pipeline temporarily shuttered following damage last week, an Upper Peninsula lawmaker said he feared economic repercussions. But energy analysts say a short-term stoppage won’t cause much pain.
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo orders Canadian oil company Enbridge to cease operations “as immediately as possible,” following reports last week of damage to the lake-bottom petroleum pipeline.
In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Democratic members also called for a federal investigation into what caused damage to an anchor support on the lakebottom pipeline.
The Michigan attorney general on Monday asked an Ingham County Circuit Court judge to order the closure until more is known about how it sustained “significant damage” to an anchor support.
An anchor support to one leg of the pipeline was recently damaged. The company says it will continue to operate the other leg under the Straits of Mackinac. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says more needs to be known about the damage before resuming oil flow.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday announced the damage and called on Enbridge Energy’s CEO to release “all information available” about the incident in the Straits of Mackinac.
Guest Commentary: Building the tunnel protects tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs that rely on the fuel that’s flowing today through Line 5, and keeps the state’s manufacturing, chemistry, tourism and service industries moving.
In a unanimous opinion issued Thursday, a three-judge panel rejected the Michigan Attorney General’s constitutional challenge to the Republican-passed 2018 law that made way for the Line 5 tunnel project.
The Michigan Court of Appeals to decide whether a law that paved the way for a planned tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac is constitutional, since words in its title didn’t match the text of the law.
In arguments to an Ingham County judge, lawyers for the attorney general say the pipeline easement below the Straits of Mackinac should never have been granted. Enbridge says the question was settled decades ago by the Legislature.
In a letter to the Canadian oil company, state officials said Enbridge must fix omissions in its application to build the Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac before they can review the application.
The energy giant has submitted a flurry of permit applications in its bid to replace the aging Line 5 oil and gas pipeline, sparking concerns from opponents who argue regulators should delay decisions until the coronavirus emergency ends.
Enbridge Energy is spending millions for residential properties near Mackinaw City, apparently confident of winning lawsuits contesting a planned tunnel. Local residents say they welcome the revenue for schools and roads.
Polling by The Center for Michigan of more than 3,100 residents shows broad support for increased regulations to protect waterways and heightened anxieties about their safety.
The Court of Appeals decision this week means Enbridge can move forward for now with next steps on the project, including permit requests needed for tunnel construction
Enbridge says the accident involving lost rods at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac doesn’t pose an environmental risk. But some environmental groups are worried it indicates problems to come.
The promise came days after Nessel released a 120-page report raising questions about Enbridge’s financial obligations under a series of agreements that its U.S.-based companies signed with Michigan.
