LANSING—Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state’s Department of Natural Resources filed a lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court this past Friday, November 13, seeking to force Enbridge to shut down its Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.
The pipeline has long been a contentious issue. Enbridge is seeking to build a tunnel in the base of the lake to contain the pipeline and offer enhanced spillage protection but environmental advocates say this action is insufficient.
The court application seeks to revoke the 1953 easement that allowed Enbridge to build and operate a dual pipeline across the bottom of the waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Any spill in that area would have significant negative impacts to the south shore of Manitoulin.
Governor Whitmer’s application would require Enbridge to shut down Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac in 180 days, on May 12, 2021.
Please see future editions of The Expositor for further coverage on this development in the Line 5 debate.
