The Michigan Public Service Commission today approved replacing a 16o mile section of an oil pipeline that ruptured in 2010. This is the third and final phase of the project.
The company is expected to install the new pipeline later this year. It will stretch from Berrien County in the west to St. Clair County in the east. The new pipeline will replace the section of pipe that broke near Marshall nearly two and a half years ago.
Enbridge’s pipeline replacement project has run into some opposition, mainly from people who don’t like having no say over having the pipeline built on their property.
“Enbridge is working with homeowners on addressing some concerns where they can…they are making changes to accommodate people’s concerns," says Judy Palnau, a Michigan Public Service Commission spokeswoman.
The Kalamazoo River continues to recover from the 2010 oil spill.
Cleanup crews have removed more than a million gallons of crude oil from along more than 30 miles of the river.
Enbridge issued a statement praising the MPSC's decision:
This replacement project will restore the ultimate capacity of the Line 6B pipeline to meet increasing demand for additional transportation capacity, which is largely driven by current and planned refinery upgrades and expansions in Michigan, Ohio and eastern Canada. In addition, the replacement project will reduce the amount of future maintenance activities that would otherwise be required to maintain the integrity of the pipeline. Construction is expected to begin in the spring.
More from the Detroit Free Press:
The Michigan Public Service Commission has given Enbridge Energy the final OK to build the company’s massive oil pipeline across Michigan. The commission’s order, which was issued today, is the last of three approvals the company had sought, and includes sections in Oakland, Macomb, Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Jackson, Ingham and St. Clair counties. The order allows the company to complete 110 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline and 50 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline.
