Michigan GOP governor candidates oppose shutting down 'dangerous' Great Lakes oil pipeline
By Adrian Cole -July 29, 2022 1:59 PM
Removing Line 5 would protect Lake Michigan from a potentially disastrous oil spill and would 'have no noticeable impact to consumers,' according to one study.
Line 5 is a 645-mile pipeline that runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, transiting the Great Lakes region through the Straits of Mackinac, which separates Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Here, its single 30-inch diameter pipe splits into two 20-inch pipes which rest on the lakebed under 100 to 270 feet of freshwater.
The underwater pipeline, which was constructed in 1953 with a projected 50-year lifespan, is owned by the Canadian company Enbridge, Inc. Every day, Line 5 carries 540,000 barrels of light crude across 400 rivers and streams and alongside 10 miles of wetlands.
The Michigan League of Conservation Voters says the 60-year-old Line 5 pipeline is damaged beyond repair. In 2010, a tugboat anchor struck one of the pipes in multiple places. Over the years, the anchors securing the pipeline to the lakebed have failed, allowing it to rise and move in the strong currents.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
https://americanindependent.com/michigan-governor-line-5-great-lakes-oil-pipeline/