GAIN Statement on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Line 5 Shutdown via Easement Revocation

Today Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger gave notice to Enbridge that its 1953 easement for Line 5’s dual pipelines was being revoked and terminated, shutting down operation of the project.

These actions require Enbridge to cease operations on the pipelines, responsible for transporting up to 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude, and natural gas liquids (NGLs), by May 2021.

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

“Governor Whitmer continues to act unilaterally to undermine the region’s energy security, economy, and consumer welfare to support her personal ideological opposition to fossil fuels. Enbridge has put forward plans to update and upgrade its Line 5 project – including the construction of a $500 million tunnel to encase the line – to ensure the United States has the energy it needs to power our economy and transportation sector. For the foreseeable future the U.S. will continue to need upwards of 20 million barrels of crude oil a day, and Governor Whitmer’s decision – if it stands – will only weaken our country’s ability to utilize North American energy, making us more reliant on oil from other parts of the world.”