New agreement Announced between State of Michigan and Enbridge

LANSING—The Michigan League of Conservation Voters released the following statement in response to news that Governor Snyder has signed an agreement with Enbridge Energy to add new restrictions and expectations around the company’s operation of its Line 5 pipeline:

Instead of shutting down this dangerous pipeline, our state leaders continue to place an enormous amount of trust in Enbridge to operate it responsibly—even while the company continues to repeatedly break that trust,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.  “What we got today was more studies, more half-measures, more strong words, and more assurances a catastrophe won’t happen.  Citizens are demanding real action. Governor Snyder and Attorney General Schuette have the power to shut Line 5 down, they simply are not using it.”     

It’s been seven years since an Enbridge pipeline ruptured in Kalamazoo, creating the worst inland oil spill in U.S. history.  

Today’s announcement didn’t directly address the imminent threat Line 5 poses to the Great Lakes. Instead, many of the measures were couched in terms like, “mitigate” or “undertake a study” or “assess the possible installation of” new technologies.  

Also, the agreement today “requires the company to cooperatively identify and make available to the state relevant information regarding the operation of Line 5.”  Enbridge has had multiple violations of its easement with the state—some of which were not disclosed for more than a year.

Cover photo courtesy of National Wildlife Federation.