Enbridge Sponsors Water Monitoring Above Aging Pipeline in Mackinac Straits
Enbridge to partner with Great Lakes Research Center on monitoring near its Mackinac Straits pipelines.
The Line 5 pipeline carries petroleum products 645 miles from Wisconsin to Ontario in two pipes that sit in the water along the lake bed.
Enbridge Energy is sponsoring new efforts to monitor waters above its
aging pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
Enbridge is working with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) out of
Michigan Technical University to build and operate a buoy to meas
ure currents in real time. That information will be made available for
anyone to view online.
“At the present time there is no real-time water flow measurements
through the Straits of Mackinac. And that is absolutely the first
starting point if there is a disaster in that area,” said GLRC
Director Guy Meadows.
“The very first step that’s necessary is, which way is the water
moving?”
Environmentalists fear the 60-year-old pipeline is unsafe and that a
leak would be catastrophic for the Great Lakes.
Meadows says whether or not there’s ever a leak, the data will still
be valuable.
“It’s a very high-traffic area, an area that people care about. And
having an environmental monitoring buoy that is open and available to
everyone really is a plus for the region.”
Enbridge says the line is safe and regularly inspected. A spokesperson
for the company says data from the buoy will help ensure it continues to
be properly maintained and if additional safety measures are needed.
