Enbridge Line 5
Michigan and it's relationship with Line 5

Enbridge's Line 5 is a crude and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline. This pipeline transports petroleum from western Canada to eastern Canada via the Great Lakes state. It passes under a sensitive portion of the Great Lakes; the Straights of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet underneath the Mackinac Bridge. Everyday nearly 23 million gallons of oil flow through the pipeline. The safety of this pipeline is a very controversial topic. It was constructed by the Eisenhower administration in 1953, this pipeline has been resting at the bottom of the lakes for 6 decades. Enbridge officials have stated that properly maintained pipelines can last indefinitely, but the company has a history of major spills across Michigan and North America.
Enbridge Line 5 and its top 5 spills in Michigan.

Line 5 Operations
Line 5 carries synthetic crude oil from Superior, WI. The original sources are tar sands bitumen from Canada which has been refined to a "light" oil. The pipeline carries the oil into Sarnia, Canada just across the St. Clair River. The pipeline is tunneled right below the riverbed. Sarnia is home to many refineries that produce gasoline and other commercial petroleum products. It has become known as "Chemical Valley". Basically, much of the oil transported through Line 5 originates in western Canada, is shipped through Michigan, and refined in Canada for the Canadian oil market.
Line 5 and Michigan
When it comes to liquid propane, Michigan is reliant on the pipeline. This propane is used to heat homes, fuel cars, and provides Jet fuel to DTW airport. Line 5 delivers 65% of the propane that heats Upper Peninsula homes and meets 55% of statewide demand for propane. Although Michigan does receive a share of its oil (5%) the product comes back to Michigan through a different pipeline, not Line 5. Line 5's soul purpose is to get the crude oil to the refineries in Canada. If the pipeline were to shut down, the U.P. and Northern Michigan may see and increase in propane prices. Oil would have to be shipped from out of state by truck or rail. It is controversial, but many think that the risks outweigh the benefits of Line 5's place in Michigan.
The Campaign
Established in 2012, 'Oil & Water Don't Mix: Keep Oil Out of the Great Lakes, started a movement centered around the shut down of the Line 5 pipeline. Michiganders were left in the dark about Line 5 until the National Wildlife Federation published a report called 'Sunken Hazard: Aging oil pipelines beneath the Straights of Mackinac an ever present threat to the Great Lakes'. The campaign was created with a simple idea: to raise awareness of the long-forgotten pipeline. Supporters hold the health and cleanliness of the Great Lakes to the highest value.
Their first rally in July 2013 was attended by 500 people. Since then, it has grown to include leadership by more than 200 businesses, two dozen partner organizations, many tribal governments, and thousands of citizens. The movement has prompted state and federal law makers to introduce resolutions and bills that address some of the concerns regarding the pipeline.
A Win for Michigan
In March of 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered the suspension of all work on the tunnel that runs beneath the Straights of Mackinac. A bill was passed to replace the section of Line 5, which is 65 years old, that runs beneath the bridge. The new pipelines will be set in a tunnel, to be drilled at a depth of 100 feet. Enbridge cooperated with the plan even though they argued that the pipelines were safe. They will pay between $350 and $500 for the construction of the tunnel pipeline, which could take between 7 and 10 years to complete. Although the new pipelines will still pose a threat to the Great Lakes, it is much safer than the old pipes.
- LeBlanc, B. (2019, December 20). What a Line 5 shutdown would mean for Michigan's energy. Retrieved from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/12/19/what-line-5-shutdown-means-michigan-energy-enbridge/4334264002/
- About the Movement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/about
- Livengood, C. (2019, June 16). Q&A: What happens if state shuts down Line 5 oil pipeline. Retrieved from https://www.crainsdetroit.com/energy/qa-what-happens-if-state-shuts-down-line-5-oil-pipeline
- Enbridge in Michigan. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/public-awareness/line-5-michigan