GAIN Statement on Michigan AG’s Comments on Line 5

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said yesterday she will move in June to shut down Line 5, a major oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac, if Governor Gretchen Whitmer cannot reach a resolution with operator Enbridge regarding future operations of the pipeline. Nessel claimed the state is in “great peril” the longer the pipeline continues to transport oil. Despite talks of developing a tunnel to house part of the pipeline, Nessel hopes Whitmer will have a plan to decommission the pipeline, which carries 23 million gallons of crude oil each day, by June 1.

Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:

“Michigan Attorney General Nessel’s comments regarding Line 5 are deeply troubling. Regulatory agencies exist at both the state and federal levels to evaluate the safety of pipeline infrastructure and ensure careful operation. Yet, politicians like Nessel attempt to interfere in the rigorous, multi-year permitting process. Elected officials must trust in these regulatory procedures.

Line 5, like all pipelines, plays a critical role in delivering the energy products consumers use and need every day. The operator has reaffirmed its commitment to safety by offering to construct a $500 million tunnel to encase the pipeline. The GAIN Coalition encourages policymakers to work together with developers on pragmatic solutions like these that will ensure further investment in – and enhance the safety of – our nation’s critical energy infrastructure network.”