An environmental group says oil pipelines running beneath the Mackinac Straits could be shut down without disrupting oil and propane supplies in Michigan.
Environmentalists say there is enough capacity on other pipelines skirting the Great Lakes to reroute the crude oil currently flowing through Line 5.
The report says at least 90% of Line 5's oil goes to Canadian refineries, so it's not essential for the Marathon refinery in Detroit.
Gary Street is with the group For Love of Water, or FLOW. The retired engineer says there’s no reason to continue using the aging pipeline and risk a devastating oil leak in the Mackinac Straits.
“Enbridge, at that point, would have to do what we’re talking about doing now. So why wait until the disaster occurs,” says Street.
Enbridge has no comment on the environmentalist group's report.
The Canadian company says its pipeline is safe.
