Enbridge ships 540,000 barrels of natural gas liquids beneath the Straits of Mackinac every day. The company just completed a full-scale oil spill response drill at the Straits. Current State's Kevin Lavery was there, and reports on the simulation.
Energy has been a hot topic in Michigan this summer. While lawmakers have grappled with forging a new long-term energy policy, other agencies have been studying the safety of our aging oil pipelines. In July, a state task force issued a report on Line 5, the Enbridge Energy twin pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
The line was built in 1953, predating the Mackinac Bridge. Many citizens and environmental groups in Michigan are concerned about the safety of the line. With memories of the 2010 Enbridge oil spill on the Kalamazoo River in mind, some have called on the company to shut down Line 5 before the same fate befalls the Straits of Mackinac. Last Thursday, Enbridge Energy tested its emergency response plan with a simulated spill in the region.
Current State’s Kevin Lavery was there.