Pipe Line 5
Why We Care:
Aging pipelines owned by Canadian company Enbridge lie exposed in the water at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. These pipelines, called Line 5, were built in 1953 during the Eisenhower administration. Line 5 threatens the drinking water supply for 5 million Michigan residents, the Pure Michigan tourist economy, and a way of life.
On November 13, 2020, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took decisive action to shut down Line 5 by May of 2021 under the Public Trust Doctrine to protect the Great Lakes from the risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac.
The State of Michigan is revoking and terminating the 1953 easement that Enbridge has relied on to operate its dual Line 5 pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac due to repeated violations of the easement. This historic action represents a clear victory for the Great Lakes and the citizens and tribes of Michigan, and recognizes that alternatives to Line 5 exist for supplying oil and propane. The State of Michigan, however, must remain vigilant until the oil stops flowing for good because Line 5 remains exposed to exceptionally strong currents, lake bed scouring, new anchor and cable strikes, and corrosion.
Our Big Goal:
Shut down Line 5.
