Built in 1953 and designed to last 50 years, the Line 5 pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin, across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through the open waters of Straits of Mackinac, and across the Lower Peninsula, before crossing under the St. Clair River to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario. The 30-inch-diameter steel pipeline splits into two 20-inch-diameter pipes when crossing the Straits, carrying nearly 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily through the turbulent waters where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron.
Line 5 has failed at least 33 times since 1968, spilling at least 1.13 million gallons of oil on land and in wetlands.
The Line 5 pipelines run at depths between 100 and 270 feet in the Straits of Mackinac, where they are stressed by strong currents and prone to anchor strikes. Built and operated by Canadian company, Enbridge, Inc., Line 5’s products mostly serve Canada, with less than 10 percent of the oil used in Michigan. Line 5 threatens the drinking water supply for 5 million Michigan residents, the Pure Michigan tourist economy, and a way of life. It is time for the State of Michigan to evict Enbridge from the Straits of Mackinac and shut down Line 5 because of the danger of an oil spill in the Great Lakes.
More about Line 5
FLOW, GLBN, and Sierra Club file joint amici brief in Nessel v. Enbridge lawsuit
FLOW & GLBN Brief: Michigan has Sovereign Right and Duty to Protect Great Lakes Waters and Bottomlands
14 years ago: Enbridge oil spill disaster in Marshall, MI
WEBINAR // Enbridge Line 5: Trouble Under the Surface
