Enbridge removes anchor from Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac

ST. IGNACE, Mich. (AP) — Enbridge says it has retrieved an anchor that broke away from a maintenance vessel while on the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac.

The mishap occurred last Wednesday as a contractor was doing seasonal work on the underwater section of its oil pipeline called Line 5. The pipeline crosses the bottom of the straits connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan on its journey from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario.

The contractor deployed an anchor about halfway between the line’s dual underwater pipes. When the crew later tried to raise it, the shackle connecting it to the cable failed.

A crane on a barge was used Sunday to lift the 15,000-pound object to the surface.

Enbridge wants to build a tunnel in the water to house the pipeline. It has a permit from the state but needs approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Critics want the pipeline shut down, saying the lakes are at risk.