Democrat John Dingle and Republican David Trott had introduced legislation mandating federal study on the safety on the Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline and requiring its closure if the study determines it is not safe.

There is significant controversy about the Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline.  For example, this recent blog post discussed a collation of Michigan business leaders advocating the closure of this pipeline.  The fear is that this old pipeline could rupture and cause catastrophic damage to the Great Lakes since it is beneath the Straights of Mackinac. 

This article describes legislation introduced by Republican David Trott and Democrat John Dingle mandating a federal study to evaluate the pipeline and require its closure if the pipeline fails  the evaluation. 

Given Enbridge’s history of environmental contamination in Michigan and the length of time it takes to obtain approval of a new pipeline, I would not be surprised if Enbridge commences the process of seeking regulatory approval to install a replacement pipeline.  If this occurs, it could require acquisition of property rights.