Enbridge Confirms Line 5 is Safe; No Credible Basis for Terminating 1953 Easement in the Straits of Mackinac

Rhea-AI Summary

Enbridge affirms the safety of its Line 5 pipelines and rejects claims for terminating the 1953 Easement at the Straits of Mackinac. Following a notice from Michigan's Governor's legal counsel, Enbridge plans to review the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) report. The company emphasizes Line 5's critical role in regional energy supply, serving Michigan and neighboring states. Enbridge is also pursuing a tunnel project to enhance safety for the pipeline, demonstrating a commitment to environmental protection while ensuring energy delivery.

Positive

• Line 5 has operated safely for over 65 years without incident.
• Enbridge is committed to the Great Lakes Tunnel project, enhancing pipeline safety.

Negative

• The DNR's non-public assessment raises concerns about compliance discussions.
• Potential legal challenges may impact operations and lead to regulatory scrutiny.

CALGARY, AB and LANSING, Mich., Nov. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Enbridge remains confident that Line 5 continues to operate safely and that there is no credible basis for terminating the 1953 Easement allowing the Dual Line 5 Pipelines to cross the Straits of Mackinac. 

Enbridge received a notice from the Governor's chief legal counsel this afternoon and is reviewing the document.

"This notice and the report from Michigan Department of Natural Resources are a distraction from the fundamental facts," said Vern Yu, Executive Vice President and President, Liquids Pipelines. "Line 5 remains safe, as envisioned by the 1953 Easement, and as recently validated by our federal safety regulator."

"We will continue to focus on the safe operation of the dual Line 5 pipelines at the Straits of Mackinac, ensuring the Great Lakes are protected while also reliably delivering the energy that helps to fuel Michigan's and the region's economy," Yu continued.

In developing its report, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) chose to conduct its assessment of Easement compliance in a non-public manner. The DNR rejected Enbridge's offer to allow technical experts to discuss any questions or clarifications related to its review. This failure to engage reflects a lack of understanding or worse, a continued failure to meet the State's commitments under the 2018 Second Agreement between the State of Michigan and Enbridge, which contemplates periodic meetings on pipeline issues to avoid just this kind of situation.

With today's actions by the Governor and Attorney General based on historical Line 5 compliance, Enbridge finally will have an opportunity to review the DNR's analysis and provide a thorough response through the legal process.    

Line 5 is an essential source of energy for not only Michigan but for the entire region including Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec. Any disruption would have devastating consequences.

Our focus remains on protecting the Great Lakes, the environment and all the people who use these waters while delivering energy that people rely on daily. Enbridge's Line 5 has served Michiganders safely without incident at the Straits crossing for more than 65 years, over nine different State Administrations. We remain committed to advancing The Great Lakes Tunnel that will contain a new section of pipeline to replace the Dual Pipelines. Enbridge is currently seeking permit approval for the tunnel project and replacement pipeline which, upon completion, will make a safe Straits crossing even safer.

Forward Looking Information

Forward-looking information, or forward-looking statements, have been included in this news release to provide information about Enbridge Inc. ("Enbridge" or the "Company") and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including management's assessment of Enbridge and its subsidiaries' future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as ''anticipate'', ''expect'', ''project'', ''estimate'', ''forecast'', ''plan'', ''intend'', ''target'', ''believe'', "likely" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information or statements in this news release include statements with respect to the Line 5 dual pipelines, including the safe operations thereof, litigation and anticipated impact of any disruption to Line 5 operations.  This news release also contains forward-looking information about the tunnel project permitting process.

Although Enbridge believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the information available on the date such statements are made and processes used to prepare the information, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Assumptions regarding the expected supply of and demand for crude oil, natural gas, NGL and renewable energy, and the prices of these commodities, are material to and underlie all forward-looking statements, as they may impact current and future levels of demand for the Company's services. Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic, exchange rates, inflation and interest rates impact the economies and business environments in which the Company operates and may impact levels of demand for the Company's services and cost of inputs and are therefore inherent in all forward-looking statements. Due to the interdependencies and correlation of these macroeconomic factors, the impact of any one assumption on a forward-looking statement cannot be determined with certainty. The most relevant assumptions associated with forward-looking statements in this news release with regards to the Line 5 dual pipelines include the impact of government and regulatory actions, approvals and litigation on ongoing and future operations. 

Enbridge's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to those risks and uncertainties discussed in this news release and in the Company's other filings with Canadian and United States securities regulators. The impact of any one risk, uncertainty or factor on a particular forward-looking statement is not determinable with certainty as these are interdependent and Enbridge's future course of action depends on management's assessment of all information available at the relevant time. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Enbridge assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made in this news release or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Enbridge or persons acting on the Company's behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc. is a leading North American energy infrastructure company. We safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want to fuel quality of life. Our core businesses include Liquids Pipelines, which transports approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America; Gas Transmission and Midstream, which transports approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.; and Utilities and Power Operations, which serves approximately 3.7 million retail customers in Ontario and Quebec, and generates approximately 1,750 MW of net renewable power in North America and Europe. The Company's common shares trade on and stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASECONTACT:

Media

Ryan Duffy Toll Free: (888) 992-0997
Email: media@enbridge.com

Investment Community

Jonathan Morgan Toll Free: (800) 481-2804
Email: investor.relations@enbridge.com

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SOURCE Enbridge Inc.

FAQ

What is the status of Enbridge's Line 5 pipelines as of November 2020?

Enbridge confirms that Line 5 is operating safely, with no credible basis for terminating the 1953 Easement.

How does Line 5 impact the energy supply in the Midwest?

Line 5 is essential for energy delivery to Michigan and surrounding states including Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio.

What measures is Enbridge taking to ensure the safety of Line 5?

Enbridge is advancing a tunnel project to enhance safety for the Line 5 pipelines.

What concerns did Michigan's DNR express regarding Line 5?

The DNR's non-public compliance assessment has raised concerns about the lack of engagement with Enbridge.

How long has Line 5 been in operation?

Line 5 has been operating safely for over 65 years.