Michigan Regulators Take an Expansive Interpretation of Environmental Impacts in Great Lakes Pipeline Case
On Wednesday, the Michigan Public Service Commission granted a major win to environmentalists regarding the proposed replacement and relocation of a section of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline. The order takes an extremely broad interpretation of an environmental review, encompassing not only the pipeline repair project itself, but of the environmental impact of the products carried by the pipeline.
The Line 5 pipeline carries light crude oil and natural gas liquid from Wisconsin to Ontario. It supplies most of the propane needs of Michigan and moves oil from Western Canada to Eastern Canada.
Enbridge, the pipeline owner applied for permission to fix an underwater 4 mile stretch of the 645-mile pipeline in an environmentally sensitive area in the Straights of Mackinac. The Michigan Public Service Commission ruled that it had jurisdiction over the pipeline and that one of the four tests for approval included an evaluation of the pollution impact, including greenhouse gases.
It ruled that its consideration of the pollution impact will not be limited to the pipeline itself but also "their purpose and the products flowing through them", siting a Michigan law, Act 16.
The Commission recognizes that the repair of this stretch is a "lynchpin providing the company with the ability to ship product" on the pipeline and has the potential shut down the line. A shut down would have strong local and international implications as pipeline customers are not yet prepared to transition away from fossil fuels.
Other pipeline projects across the country have been unable to obtain regulatory and siting approvals, causing some gas companies to re-evaluate their business models. Dominion, Con Edison, DTE Energy, and Centerpoint have all announced intentions to reposition away from fossil gas.
Link to Michigan PUC press release:
https://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/0,9535,7-395-93253_93280-557472--,00.html
Link to Senate Committee discussion of impacts:
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