Expert Report Released on Mackinac Island: Shut Down Enbridge`s

Expert Report Released on Mackinac Island: Shut Down Enbridge`s

FORIMMEDIATERELEASETOMEDIA:May27,2015
Contacts:
LizKirkwood,ExecutiveDirector
FLOW(ForLoveofWater)
GaryStreet
FormerDirectorofEngineering
DowEnvironmental–AWDTechnologies
Cell:570‐872‐4956
Email:[email protected]
Cell:989‐284‐9596
Email:[email protected]
ExpertReportReleasedonMackinacIsland:ShutDownEnbridge’sOilPipelinesin
MackinacStraitsPendingaFullPublicReviewofPotentialHarm&Alternatives
Deepconcernsoverpossiblecorrosionfromzebramussels,outdatedpipelinewelds&coating
LANSING–The62‐year‐oldEnbridgeoilpipelinesrunningthroughtheMackinacStraitsshouldbeshut
downpendingafullpublicreviewbecauseofstructuralconcerns,includingtheworrythatwasteexcreted
byzebramusselsmayhavecorrodedanddangerouslyweakenedthesteelpipes,accordingtoareport
releasedtodayataMackinacIslandpressconferencebyateamofscientistsandengineers.
Relyingon1950stechnology,thetwinoilpipelinesalsohaveanoutdatedprotectivecoatingandwelds
connectingthe40‐footsegmentsthatmakeupthepipelines,andlacktherequirednumberofsupportsto
securethepipesinthepowerfulcurrentsoftheStraits,justwestoftheMackinacBridge,accordingtothe
expertteam,whichwasconvenedbyaGreatLakeslawandpolicygroup.
“Studieshaveconcludedthatexcrementfromzebramusselshasacorrosiveimpactonexposedsteel,”said
GaryStreet,formerDirectorofEngineering,DowEnvironmental–AWDTechnologies,whospokeat
thepressconferenceonbehalfoftheexpertteam.“Andthere’sarealconcernthatbaresteelindeed
mayhavebecomeexposedduetofrictionwherethepipelineslieontheshiftingsand‐and‐gravelbottom,
andduetopossiblefailureofthepipelinecoatinggenerallyaftermorethansixdecadesofuse.”
TheEnbridge“Line5”oilpipelineswereinstalledin1953andnotdesignedtowithstandimpactsfrom
zebramussels,aninvasivespeciescarriedtotheGreatLakesintheballastwaterofocean‐goingships
decadesaftertheSt.LawrenceSeawaywasopenedtonavigationin1959,theexpertteamconcluded.
Underwatervideofootage(hereatthe2:22mark)capturedin2013showstheStraitsofMackinac
pipelinescoveredingrowthanddebris,includingzebramussels.Moreover,unlessremoved,aprocess
itselfthatcouldcompromisethepipelines,theencrustedlayerofmusselsmakesexternalinspection
virtuallyimpossible,theexpertsdetermined.
Theteamofexpertsalsofoundthatthe“coaltarenamel”coatingthatprotectstheexterioroftheLine5
pipelinesfromcorrosionisan“obsoletetechnologyandmayhavefailedlocally,resultingincorrosionthat
hasreducedthestrengthoftheassembledpipeline.”ProtectivecoatingsimilartothatontheStraits
pipelineshasfailedelsewhereandresultedinoilspills,includingin2009withEnbridge’sLine2near
Odessa,Saskatchewan,whichwasconstructedthesameyearasLine5.
“Thistypeofprotectivecoatingisnotusedonoilpipelinesanymorebecauseitispronetofailureandhas
beenreplacedbybettertechnology,”saidEdTimm,PhD.,PE,aformerseniorscientistandconsultant
toDowChemical’sEnvironmentalOperationsBusiness.“Enbridgesimplyhasnotprovideddatatoback
upitsclaimsaboutthesafetyofLine5intheStraits.Thereshouldbeafullpublicreviewrelyingon
independentexpertise.”
Oil & Water Don't Mix Campaign 148 E. Front St., Suite 301, Traverse City, MI 49684. 231-480-4112. www.OilandWaterDontMix.org
Theexpertteam–twoaccomplishedengineersandahazardousmaterialsrisk‐managementspecialist–
wereconvenedbyFLOW,aTraverseCity‐basedGreatLakeslawandpolicycentertoconsiderriskstothe
Enbridgeoilpipelines.Enbridge,whichisinfamousitsLine6bthatcorrodedandspilled1milliongallonsof
heavyoilin2010intotheKalamazooRiverwatershednearMarshall,Michigan,haswithheldkeydataand
reportsfrompublicscrutiny,theexpertsfound.
“Weconvenedtheseexpertsinordertobringkeyscientificfactsandconcernstolight,”saidLizKirkwood,
ExecutiveDirectorofFLOW,anattorneyandleaderinastatewidecampaignofgroups,citizens,
businesses,tribes,andlocalgovernmentscallingforthegovernortoconductafullpublicassessmentunder
statelaw–theGreatLakesSubmergedLandsAct–ofthepotentialharmposedbyLine5intheStraitsand
identifyalternativestoavoidthatharm.
Kirkwood’sorganizationreleasedtheexperts’findingsatapressconferencetodayonMackinacIsland.
AlsoattendingthenewsconferencewereBruceWallace,boardchairoftheNationalWildlifeFederation;
AaronPayment,TribalChairman,SaultSte.MarieTribeofChippewaIndians;DavidHoltz,Michiganchair
ofSierraClubandStreet.ThereportwassubmittedApril30totheMichiganPetroleumPipelineTask
Force,whichhasyettorespond.
“It’sclearfromthesescientificfindingsthatLine5shouldbeshutdownandanopen,publicprocess
immediatelybeguntoconsiderthebestwaytoavoidacatastrophicoilspillintotheGreatLakes,hometo
20percentoftheworld’sfreshsurfacewater.Thepublichasarighttoknowtheriskandtoexpect
leadershipfromthegovernorandhistaskforceledbyAttorneyGeneralBillSchuetteandDEQDirector
DanWyant,”saidKirkwood,whoinlateAprilformallysubmittedtheexperts’findingstothestatetask
force,whichisexpectedthisspringtoreleaseitsrecommendationsregardingLine5andothergasandoil
pipelinesacrossthestate.
Theexpertsalsoraisedconcernsaboutweldsconnectingthe40‐footsegmentsthatmakeupthepipelines,
notingthatthe“weldingtechniquesusedforLine5in1953haveproventobelessrobustthan
contemplated”and“havebeenfounddeficient.”Intheirreport,theycited16Enbridgeoilspillsreported
from2002‐2010frompipelineswithacoaltarenamelcoatingsimilartothatusedonLine5intheStraits,
withthecauseoffiveofthosespillswaslistedas“weldfailure”andtwoothersresultingfrom“corrosion.”
TheexpertteamalsofoundthatEnbridgehasfailedtoinstallasmanyas65supportsrequiredbythestate
topreventthepipelinefromgrindingalongthebottom,bending,andpotentiallyfailingorbreakingatits
weldpoints.InJune2014,Enbridgediscloseditwasinviolationofthestateeasementforanunspecified
numberofyearsbynotinstallingtherequiredsupportsevery75feetalongtheStraitsoilpipelines.,
Enbridgesoughta“maintenance”permitfromthestatetoinstallmoresupportsonstate‐owned
bottomlands.Todate,Enbridgehasinstalledonly146supportsofanytype–atotalof8groutbagsand
mechanicalsupports,16groutbags,and122mechanicalscrewanchors–farshortoftheapproximately
211supportsrequired,theexpertsconcluded.
TheagingEnbridgepipelinespushnearly23milliongallonsofoilandnaturalgasliquidsadaythroughthe
StraitsofMackinac,whichthecompanyusesasashortcutforitsLine5routefromSuperior,Wis.,toSarnia,
Ontario.AJuly2014studybytheUniversityofMichigancalledtheStraits“theworstpossibleplaceforan
oilspillintheGreatLakes"anddepictedtheprospectofaplumefromamillion‐gallonoilspillintheStraits
stretchingfor85miles–fromLakeMichigan’sBeaverIslandtoMackinacIslandtoRogersCitydownthe
LakeHuronshore.
MayorMargaretDoudofMackinacIsland,themayorsofTraverseCityandGrandRapids,andmost
recently,theCheboyganCountyBoardofCommissionershavesentformalletterstothegovernorcalling
forstateactionontheoilpipelinesintheStraitsofMackinac.
Formoreinformation,visittheFLOWwebsite:
 www.FlowforWater.org
 www.FlowforWater.org/programs/enbridge‐line‐5‐pipelines‐in‐the‐straits‐of‐mackinac
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Oil & Water Don't Mix Campaign 148 E. Front St., Suite 301, Traverse City, MI 49684. 231-480-4112. www.OilandWaterDontMix.org