Ann Arbor, MI – Yesterday, Senator Gary Peters released video footage of the anchor strike on Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. The anchor strike which nearly ruptured Line 5 occurred in April 2018. Enbridge Energy agreed to release the video under intense questioning from Senator Peters during a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in August 2018. Since that hearing, Enbridge has continued to refuse to release the footage, forcing Senator Peters to obtain the video from the U.S. Coast Guard and release it publicly after being assured that there was no reason for confidentiality. Video footage.

The statement below can be attributed to Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation and one of the witnesses in the federal hearing where Enbridge agreed to release the video. Shriberg pushed for the video release in his testimony and in the subsequent questioning from Senator Peters.

“The released videos and photos show the incredible risk these pipelines, which are beyond their design life, pose to the Great Lakes and our economy. The images are shocking – the pipeline is clearly in poor shape and the damage from the anchor strike is extensive. The Great Lakes barely dodged a bullet. What’s not surprising, given their past behavior, is that Enbridge attempted to hide this damage from the public and decision makers, even after a sitting U.S. Senator made repeated, formal requests. Enbridge has shown, once again, that they cannot be trusted with the Great Lakes. We can’t continue to allow this threat to remain in the Great Lakes and urge swift action from the Governor and Attorney General. We thank Senator Peters for his leadership to require transparency.”