The state has signed an agreement with Enbridge Energy to ensure that heavy crude oil will not be shipped through a pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac. But the agreement does not change anything because Enbridge Line 5 is not built to carry heavy crude.
Michael Barnes is a spokesman for Enbridge. “We are re-affirming our commitment that Line 5 is dedicated to the transport of natural gas liquids, not heavy crude," he says.
The agreement does not affect Enbridge Line 6, which does carry heavy crude and runs through southern Michigan.
Governor Rick Snyder also signed an executive order to create a pipeline safety advisory board. Environmental groups say it only delays tough decisions on Line 5 and protecting the Great Lakes.
