© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
From our State Capitol in Lansing to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, WKAR is committed to explaining how the actions of lawmakers are affecting Michiganders. Political and government reporter Abigail Censky leads this section. There are also stories from Capitol correspondents Cheyna Roth, Rick Pluta and the Associated Press. As the 2020 presidential race begins, look here for reports on the role Michigan will play in electing or re-electing the president.

Michigan AG: I'll Move To Shut Oil Pipeline If Talks Fail

Attorney General Dana Nessel
WKAR-MSU
Attorney General Dana Nessel (D-MI)

Michigan's attorney general pledged Monday to move to shut down an oil pipeline in the Great Lakes if the governor doesn't find a "swift and straightforward" resolution to the contentious issue.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month halted state agencies' work to facilitate construction of a tunnel beneath the lakebed to house a new segment of Line 5 in the channel where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet, citing concerns that her Republican predecessor's plan would keep the existing 66-year-old pipeline in the water too long. But the Democrat said this month she was open to still building the tunnel . Her administration is in talks with pipeline owner and operator Enbridge.

"I respect the Governor's effort to find a swift and straightforward resolution to this issue, but if unsuccessful I will use every resource available to our office to shut down Line 5 to protect our Great Lakes," Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who promised during her campaign to close the pipeline, said in a short statement.

A spokeswoman later said while Nessel was reluctant to impose a specific deadline on Whitmer's efforts with Enbridge, she was hopeful that the governor by June 1 will have a plan for decommissioning Line 5.

"The Attorney General shares the Governor's sense of urgency to remove the pipeline from the Great Lakes at the earliest possible moment," said Kelly Rossman-McKinney.

Nessel released an opinion last month saying a law enacted in December to implement former Gov. Rick Snyder's tunnel deal is unconstitutional.

As a candidate, Nessel said she would seek a court injunction to shut the pipeline by alleging that Enbridge violated a 1953 state easement. Although the federal government regulates oil pipelines, Michigan owns the lake bottom and granted the easement allowing the pipeline to go there.

Line 5 carries about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) of crude oil daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. The underwater segment that traverses the Straits of Mackinac is divided into two side-by-side lines.

Environmental groups contend that the segment is a spill hazard and should be decommissioned. The company says it is in good shape and could operate indefinitely. The pipeline project is supported by labor organizations friendly to Whitmer because of the jobs it would create.

"We believe the tunnel project is the best way to protect the waters of the Great Lakes while ensuring families, manufacturers and other businesses safely receive the energy transported through Line 5," said Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy. "We continue to provide information to the Governor's office and to seek clarification from the Administration on a path forward for the tunnel project."

Nessel does not believe a tunnel is the best or safest way to meet Michigan's energy needs, including the delivery of propane to the Upper Peninsula, but she is not engaged in the policy-oriented negotiations that Whitmer and lawmakers may be having, said Rossman-McKinney. She supports a proposal that Whitmer appoint a task force to address concerns about supplying heat to the U.P.

"The AG's prospective involvement in decommissioning Line 5 concerns the hazards posed to the Great Lakes, not whether the use of oil pipelines in general makes for sound energy policy," Rossman-McKinney said.

Related Content
As the year ends, your gift to WKAR is more important than ever. Donate $60 or more before December 31, and we’ll donate a WKAR Reading Kit to a child in need in our community. Your generosity not only supports our vital journalism for the upcoming year but also fosters a love for reading in young minds. Together, we can create a brighter future!