Michigan Governor Seeks Shutdown Of US-Canadian Oil Pipeline - Statement

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2020) Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is moving forward with a plan to shut down a cross-border oil pipeline between the United States and Canada, the governor's office said in a statement on Monday.

"Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Dan Eichinger notified Enbridge that the 1953 easement allowing it to operate dual pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac to transport petroleum and other products is being revoked and terminated," the statement said.

The Michigan government filed a lawsuit with the Ingham County Circuit Court to enforce the decision, the statement added.

The decision concerns a four-mile stretch of the pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac, which separates the state's lower and upper peninsulas and two of Great Lakes - Michigan and Huron.

The governor contends that the Canadian energy giant Enbridge, which owns the pipeline, has routinely refused to take action to protect the waters of the lakes from the threat of oil spills that may devastate the environment and economy.

The Great Lakes supply drinking water to more than five million Michigan residents and support up to 350,000 jobs in the state.

The pipeline is a critical part of the Canadian energy industry, as it carries oil from Western Canada to refineries in Ontario and the United States.

Enbridge and Natural Resources Canada did not immediately respond to Sputnik's request for comment.

The notice, should it come into effect, will require Enbridge to cease operations of its Line 5 by May 2021.

Line 5 transports up to 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude, and natural gas liquids (NGLs), which are refined into propane, according to Enbridge.