Congresswoman Debbie Dingell statement Enbridge Line 5 safeguard agreement.

wiscontext.org.

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI 12) has released a statement on Governor Snyder's agreement with Enbridge that would require the company to make immediate improvements to the Line 5 pipeline in order to insure environmental protection for the Great Lakes. This protection includes replacing a portion of Line 5 and shutting down the pipeline during periods of severe weather. 

The Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline is a oil pipeline that is in the Enbridge Lakehead System, that will transport petroleum from the western portion of Canada to eastern Canada. The controversy surrounding Line 5 revolves around the fact that the pipeline will pass through environmentally sensitive areas such as the Straits of Mackinac. The Straits connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

According to a press release from Congresswoman Dingell, “This agreement is a beginning toward safeguarding the Great Lakes and protecting the drinking water that 40 million people rely upon. The Line 5 pipeline carries twenty-three million gallons of oil through the Straits of Mackinac every day. A spill in this area would be devastating for the Great Lakes ecosystem, economy and our way of life, and that is a risk we cannot afford to take. Enbridge has repeatedly failed to disclose potential vulnerabilities to this pipeline, and this agreement will help hold the company to account, ensure the public is informed and that critical safety standards are in place. While this is an important step, I continue to believe that if a comprehensive study of the pipelines finds Line 5 to be unsafe, it should be shut down.”