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 says without Line 5, the U.P. will be without propane or 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. Learn the truth.
MYTH
This will leave the U.P. 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 UP and other propane sources and providers already exist. The UP Energy Task Force found several options other than Line 5 with comparable costs.
MYTH
The price of propane will skyrocket.
FACT
According to the most comprehensive study done to date, shutting down Line 5 might result in temporary price increases of not more than 5 cents/gallon- well within normal market price fluctuations.
MYTH
There is no solution in place 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 AND the energy market adjusts quickly. There are several solutions that could be quickly developed and deployed, including: Propane trucking from Superior, WI, rail transport from Conway, KS or Edmonton, AB, and increased propane storage
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 full amount of product being moved through Line 5, not the much smaller amount that would be needed in Michigan. The amount of propane needed 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, PBF indicates that they are mainly supplied by 3 pipelines- Capline and Midvalley pipelines from the south, and Line 5 from the north. They also only employ 550 people so how they would lose 1,000 jobs is unclear.
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, other 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 employees and provisioned contractors in Michigan. More jobs will be created by decommissioning and removing Line 5 (2,188 jobs) than by building a tunnel (1,763 jobs). More than 1.3 million jobs regionally depend on the Great Lakes, creating $82 billion in annual wages.
THE LINE 5 DUAL PIPELINES UNDER THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC 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, protective coating on the pipeline has worn away, exposing bare metal and weakening the pipeline’s integrity.
• Enbridge has consistently failed to properly anchor the pipeline to the lakebed, letting it sway uncontrolled in the strong Straits currents.
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 a number of 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 Task force 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, which resulted in the largest inland oil spill in history.
•In June 2020, Line 5 was temporarily shut down due to significant damage to anchor supports on the pipeline caused by an anchor strike and 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 NUMBER OF JOBS AT RISK IF LINE 5 RUPTURES FAR OUTWEIGH 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 decommissioning and removing Line 5 would create 2,188 jobs.
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