Erosion has created a larger than normal opening underneath the two Enbridge Line 5 pipelines that run beneath the Straits of Mackinac; however, according to a statement by Enbridge, while the span exceeds allowed width measurements and the company will work to address the problem, it poses no harm.
The gaps are never supposed to exceed 22.8 meters, or around 75 feet, in accordance with a 1953 easement. However, one opening is nearing 82 feet, according to Enbridge.
The National Wildlife Federation and many environmental groups have called for the pipeline to be closed in order to protect the Great Lakes waters and shorelines from the events of an oil leak.
Photo courtesy of joeldinda/Flickr.
