ANN ARBOR, MI-- The National Wildlife Federation says it intends to sue the federal agency that oversees oil pipeline safety in the U.S.
The NWF says the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration had no authority to allow the transport of oil through pipelines that run under the Straits of Mackinac and other navigable waters in Michigan. It says the agency also incorrectly authorized the transport of oil through pipelines on land without assessing the impacts on the environment, fish, and wildlife.
The Federation wants the PHMSA to fully assess and disclose the environmental impacts of the land segments of Line 5. It’s also asking the agency to revoke its approval of oil spill response plans for the portions of Line 5 that run under the Straits of Mackinac and other waters in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
The NWF says it wants to prevent another disaster like the one that spilled 800,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River in 2010.
