Pipelines are safe despite worn-away covering, say operators
Operators of twin oil pipelines beneath the waterway where Lakes Huron and Michigan converge insist they remain structurally sound even though an outer layer of protective covering has worn away in some places. Skeptics said the deterioration is further evidence the lines should be shut down.
Officials with Enbridge Inc. told the Associated Press the exterior material is not essential to the pipes' integrity and there is no reason for concern about its absence in spots along the lines extending nearly five miles along the bottomlands of the Straits of Mackinac.