Points North, Ep. 40: U.P.’s relationship with Line 5 propane is complicated

Published December 13, 2019 at 10:28 AM EST

Enbridge Energy's Line 5 runs through the Straits of Mackinac.

This week on Points North, we examine propane needs in the Upper Peninsula. Do yoopers need Line 5 for propane, or would they survive without the pipelines?

'We could get by' — U.P. considers alternatives to Line 5 propane

James Ball of Rapid River points to the pellet stove he had installed after a propane shortage scare one winter.

Tribal nations, Michigan’s governor and environmental groups are all calling for a shutdown of Line 5: the pipeline that carries oil underneath the Straits of Mackinac.

They say the pipeline, which is 60-plus years old, poses too great a risk of rupturing. The pipeline doesn’t just carry oil — its liquid mix includes propane that is delivered to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. So, what would happen to U.P. households using propane if Line 5 shut down?

Read the full story here.

Enbridge private security kept tabs on anti-Line 5 movement; emailed updates to local police

Water protectors gather in kayaks for a yearly protest of Enbridge's Line 5, the oil pipeline that runs under the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge hired private security to keep track of water protectors this summer.

Interlochen Public Radio has obtained emails between a private security contractor working for Enbridge Energy and several law enforcement agencies near the Straits of Mackinac.

Read the full story here.