Enbridge pipeline has dent in section that runs under St. Clair River

The pipeline that spilled an estimated million gallons of Canadian crude into the Kalamazoo River system last month has a dent in the section that runs under the St. Clair River where it crosses into Ontario.

Half of Michigan’s population receives drinking water from systems downstream from this crossing.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Rep. Candice Miller (R-Harrison Township) is asking the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to expand the scope of its Sept. 15 hearing on the Enbridge oil spill because the company has not developed a long term plan for fixing problems in the section of the pipeline that crosses under the St. Clair River.

In the letter to Miller, Enbridge official Steve Wuori assured the congresswoman that once the dent was found in the pipeline under the river, the company reduced pressure in the line and took other measures to make sure it was safe to operate until it can be fixed or replaced. Enbridge had earlier notified federal officials of hundreds of anomalies found in Line 6B through testing, though all were east of the spill site in mid-Michigan.

Miller – in a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar – said while Enbridge assured her the dented pipeline was being “handled appropriately,” she believes Congress must provide “sufficient oversight so that Enrbidge and the (federal) regulators understand that we will not accept a tragic incident under the St. Clair River.”

“There are multiple water intake pipes along the St. Clair River that provide the drinking water for millions in Southeast Michigan. The river also flows into Lake St. Clair and on to the Detroit River and Lake Erie. An accident similar to the event that occurred in Marshall would be simply catastrophic to our region,” she said.

Officials with the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration rejected one pipeline restart plan proposed by Enbridge and have yet to publicly respond to a second restart proposal submitted by the company on Aug. 13.

Jeff Friedland, emergency services coordinator for St. Clair County told Michigan Messenger that local emergency responders were never notified of problems with the pipeline in that area.