Governor Rick Snyder’s administration and Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge Energy have reached a deal on replacing 65-year-old twin pipelines in a channel linking two of the Great
Lakes. The agreement calls for shutting down the Line 5 pipes in the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan. A new pipeline would run through a
tunnel dug into bedrock below the lake bed. The project could take seven to 10 years to complete and cost up to $500 million, which Enbridge would pay. Last year, Enbridge also announced that it will replace a section of Line 5 that runs underneath the St. Clair River between Sarnia and Marysville. Meanwhile, Environmental groups are pledging to fight an agreement reached between Governor Snyder and Enbridge. The National Wildlife Federation says the agreement would expose the Great Lakes to potential oil spills for many years.
