Michigan State Senator Dan Lauwers reported on the testimony to a joint hearing of the Senate’s Energy and Technology Committee and Natural Resources Committee regarding the Enbridge Line 5 shutdown.
Line 5 is a petroleum pipeline that extends from western Canada to Eastern Canada. It passes under the Straits of Mackinac and the St. Clair River. A leak from the line would be environmentally catastrophic. A new line under the Straits is in the preliminary planning stages. A new line has already been constructed under the St Clair River.
A member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament, Bob Bailey of Sarnia, spoke at the meeting. Lauwers said his testimony and others’ brought important perspective. Closing the line will have significant negative economic impacts on the Sarnia region.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer plans to completely close the line in May and rely on rail and trucking to transport the petroleum. Lauwers said that Whitmer does not have the authority to do so, as that would be breaking an international treaty.
In his weekly newsletter, Lauwers said, “If safety and environmental protection are what we are after, we need to weigh these matters objectively instead of subjectively. I think we will find continuation of what we have now while we build an alternative to Line 5 is far better and safer than other considerations.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
