Enbridge wants to add support structures to pipeline running under Straits of Mackinac

Enbridge wants to work on Lake Michigan pipeline

LANSING, Mich. — Enbridge Energy Partners, the company whose pipeline caused a major oil spill in the Kalamazoo River five weeks ago, said Wednesday its plan to reinforce its oil pipelines under Lake Michigan is part of a routine maintenance program.

Enbridge has filed for a state permit that would allow the company to add more anchoring braces to two pipelines along the lake bottom in the Straits of Mackinac between Mackinac County in the Upper Peninsula and Emmet County in the Lower Peninsula. The company said similar work was done in 2006 for the pipelines that were installed in the 1950s.

The permit application has been put up for public notice by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. If approved, work could begin later this month with divers operating off barges in Lake Michigan.

“It’s been planned for some time,” Enbridge spokesman Larry Springer said of the work.

The company’s application says the work is needed to “provide better overall pipeline integrity and safety.” The application says doing nothing would present “a future risk to the pipeline.”

The Enbridge pipeline runs between Superior, Wis. and Sarnia, Ontario.

Enbridge’s permit applications are drawing more public attention because of a massive leak on another of its Michigan pipelines.

A pipeline running near the Kalamazoo River leaked between 820,000 and more than 1 million gallons of oil near Marshall in a spill reported by the Calgary, Alberta-based company on July 26. That pipeline runs from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario.

Democratic U.S. Reps. James Oberstar of Minnesota and Mark Schauer of Michigan on Wednesday asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether Enbridge or any of its affiliates strong-armed residents in the oil spill area to sign forms preventing them from suing in exchange for air purifiers or payment of hotel and other expenses.

Enbridge Inc. President Patrick Daniel has said the company will take responsibility for all legitimate damage claims. He said Wednesday the company feels the claims process has been effective and is “surprised and disappointed” to hear about concerns related to the program.

“We feel part of that may be misunderstanding, and we’re working very hard right now to clarify the situation,” Daniel said.

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Enbridge: www.enbridge.com/