Use these fact sheets to counter Enbridge's propaganda about the Line 5 oil pipeline that threatens the Great Lakes and climate every day.
Enbridge claims that without Line 5, the U.P. will be without propane, prices will skyrocket, 2,100 trucks will cross the Mackinac Bridge every day, Detroit Metro airport will run out of jet fuel, and 1,000's will become unemployed. These claims are demonstrably untrue. Learn the truth below.
DOWNLOAD THE MYTHS VS FACTS HANDOUT
MYTH
This will leave the Upper Peninsula without much-needed propane.
FACT
U.P. residents will not lose access to propane. Line 5 only provides propane to roughly 12,000 homes and businesses in the central U.P., and other propane sources and providers already exist. The U.P. Energy Task Force found several options other than Line 5 with comparable costs. Propane retailers have notified their customers that they will be able to provide propane without Line 5.
MYTH
The price of propane will skyrocket.
FACT
According to the most comprehensive study done, shutting down Line 5 might result in a temporary price increase of not more than 5 cents/gallon- well within normal market price fluctuations.
MYTH
There is no solution to protect U.P. residents who rely on Line 5 propane.
FACT
The state is already implementing the administrative recommendations outlined in the U.P. Energy Task Force propane supply report. Plus, the energy market adjusts quickly. Several solutions include trucking propane from Superior, WI, rail transport from Conway, KS, or Edmonton, AB, and increased propane storage. These solutions could be rapidly developed and deployed.
MYTH
There will be 2,100 trucks crossing the Mackinac Bridge every day, and trucks are more susceptible to spills.
FACT
This number reflects the total amount of product carried through Line 5, not the much smaller amount that Michigan would need. The propane required for Michigan would be roughly 3-4 truckloads per day or 1-2 train cars per day.
MYTH
Refineries in Ohio will be shut down if Line 5 is shut down.
FACT
PBF Refinery in Toledo asserts that they have no other source of petroleum and would have to shut down without Line 5, and they'd lose 1,000 jobs. However, in investor filings, three pipelines supply PBF: Capline and Midvalley pipelines from the south and Line 5 from the north. They also only employ 550 people, so it is unclear how they would lose 1,000 jobs.
MYTH
The Detroit airport will run out of jet fuel if Line 5 is shut down.
FACT
Based on numbers published by PBF, BP Husky, and Marathon Refineries Line 5 appears to supply only about 10% of the jet fuel at Detroit Metro Airport, not 40% as claimed by Ohio Gov. DeWine. Both Marathon and PBF have other crude oil sources, and other pipelines could provide feedstock to satisfy regional jet fuel needs. Alternatively, nearby refineries in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio could make up this shortfall.
MYTH
Thousands of Michiganders depend on Line 5 for their jobs.
FACT
Enbridge only employs 116 workers and provisioned contractors in Michigan. More jobs will be created by decommissioning and removing Line 5 (2,188 jobs) than building a tunnel (1,763 jobs). More than 1.3 million regional jobs depend on the Great Lakes, creating $82 billion in annual wages.
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DOWNLOAD LINE 5 MESSAGING HANDOUT
THE LINE 5 DUAL PIPELINES UNDER MACKINAC STRAITS ARE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND ARE NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE.
• In 2018, a tugboat anchor struck the pipeline, damaging it in multiple areas and nearly causing a rupture.
• Over the years, some protective coating on the pipeline has worn away, exposing bare metal and weakening the pipeline's integrity.
• Enbridge has consistently failed to support the pipeline as stipulated in its easement. Proper support prevents the strong Straits currents from weakening the line.
• As currents washed away the lakebed under the pipeline, hundreds of added anchor supports have elevated over three miles of the pipeline into the strong current. This jerry-rigged suspension bridge is beyond the original design specifications.
LINE 5 PROVIDES ONLY A PORTION OF THE PROPANE IN MICHIGAN, AND THERE ARE BETTER SOURCES TO MEET THE U.P.'S ENERGY NEEDS.
• The U.P. Energy Task Force has provided several solutions to meet the U.P.'s energy needs that will maintain affordability and access through proper planning and alternatives.
• An independent study from London Economics International found that price impacts for propane from a Line 5 shut down would be negligible, at around 5 cents/gallon.
• The U.P. Energy Taskforce determined 3-4 truckloads or 1-2 train cars of propane per day could replace the U.P.'s reliance on Line 5 propane.
ENBRIDGE ENERGY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, DEMONSTRATING A TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR GREAT LAKES.
• In 2010, Enbridge's Line 6B Pipeline ruptured, spilling more than a million gallons of oil, resulting in history's second-largest inland oil spill. Enbridge knew about the poor pipeline condition but neglected to fix it before it ruptured.
• In April 2018, a ship's anchor gouged and dented both pipelines. Instead of shutting down the pipeline, the State of Michigan sued the shipping company for dragging its anchor.
• In June 2020, Enbridge temporarily shut down line 5 due to significant damage to anchor supports caused by its contractors. Enbridge failed to inform state officials about the damage and condition of the line.
• In recent years, Enbridge has continuously failed to demonstrate proper care for the pipeline, violating its agreement with the state of Michigan.
THE QUANTITY OF JOBS AT RISK IF LINE 5 RUPTURES FAR OUTWEIGHS THE JOBS CURRENTLY SUPPORTED BY THE PIPELINE.
• More than 214,000 jobs are supported by tourism alone, which are at risk if Line 5 ruptures.
• Enbridge only employs 116 people in Michigan, including contractors.
• An independent 2017 study by Dynamic Risk found that decommissioning and removing Line 5 would create 2,188 jobs.
DOWNLOAD LINE 5 MESSAGING HANDOUT
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