Michigan lawmakers want to make Enbridge Line 5 anchor strikes a felony

Following a series of anchor strikes along the Line 5 petroleum pipeline, a group of Michigan lawmakers wants to ban large boats from dropping anchor in the Straits of Mackinac and force boat operators to pay for any damage caused by an anchor strike.

Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, introduced House Bill 6307 bill this week. It aims to amend Michigan’s Natural Resources Protection Act to ban boats larger than 700 feet long from using any equipment that could come into contact with the bottom of the Straits. That includes anchors, chains and cables.

A companion bill introduced by Rep. Sue Allor, R-Wolverine, would amend the state criminal code to make large-boat anchoring in the Straits a felony.

In a news conference Thursday, Hood said the bill aims to hold boat operators accountable for anchor strikes like the ones that have repeatedly occurred along Enbridge Energy’s dual-span petroleum pipeline at the bottom of the Straits. She called the bills “an important step in protecting our Great Lakes from high-risk acts that substantially harm our environment in the interest of corporate profiteering.”

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-lawmakers-want-make-enbridge-line-5-anchor-strikes-felony