Why should I trust Enbridge? You're the company that caused the spill in Marshall, Michigan
The Line 6B incident, in July 2010 near Marshall, Michigan, made a lasting impact on how Enbridge operates. The lessons we learned from this incident have ultimately made us a safer company.
The safety of the public and the environment, and the operational reliability of our systems, will always be our Number 1 priority. As a result of the Marshall incident, we’ve since put in place a wide range of measures to enhance the safety and the reliability of our entire North American pipeline system.
These measures include:
- Intensifying what was already an aggressive, proactive approach to pipeline integrity management. Over the past four years, through 2014, we conducted 9,733 verification digs and 698 in-line inspections across our crude oil and liquids pipelines system;
- Substantially increasing our pipeline integrity management spending. Over the past three years, we've spent $3.78 billion on system integrity and leak detection across our crude oil and liquids pipeline operations;
- Establishing a Pipeline Control Systems and Leak Detection department, and nearly doubling the size of the Enbridge team dedicated to leak detection and pipeline control (130 members in 2011, compared to 240 by the end of 2014);
- Adding staff and enhancing organizational structures at our Pipeline Control Center, while also revising and enhancing all control center procedures pertaining to decision making, pipeline startup and shutdown, leak detection system alarms, and communication protocols;
- Reviewing and strengthening our Public Awareness programs in both the United States and Canada to inform the public about how to stay safe around our facilities and pipelines, and how to identify and report potential problems along our systems:
- In 2014, we carried out more than 660 visits to municipal officers, first responders, and 9-1-1 dispatchers near our pipelines in Canada to maintain relationships and review emergency preparedness information;
- Also in 2014, we sent more than 816,000 brochures to key U.S. stakeholders near our pipelines, showing them how to recognize and respond to a pipeline emergency and ensuring they have the necessary contact information.
- Investing and deploying $50-million in new response equipment, from booms to boats, across our enterprise since 2012;
- Bolstering our emergency response and preparedness efforts, with 381 exercises, drills, and equipment deployment events company-wide in 2012, 478 more in 2013, and another 371 in 2014;
- Launching a state-of-the-art, online interactive training program to help emergency responders and 9-1-1 call center personnel quickly and effectively respond to a pipeline emergency.
