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 ### Oil & Water Don't Mix Campaign 148 E. Front St., Suite 301, Traverse City, MI 49684. 231-480-4112. www.OilandWaterDontMix.org
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