LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — The state of Michigan has ended its deal with the contractor in charge of analyzing the risks of Enbridge Line 5, after learning someone on the team also worked for Enbridge.
State officials say Det Norske Veritas, Inc. violated conflict of interest rules contained in their contract when it included the employee on its team. The state said it discovered within the past month that the employee worked on an Enbridge project after working on the Line 5 risk analysis report.
State officials say the risk analysis was still being completed when the worker began the project for Enbridge. The state said it terminated its contract with DNV GL before a draft of the risk analysis was delivered to the state’s project team.
“The evaluations of Line 5 were supposed to be independent, not tainted by outside opinions or information, but that’s not what happened. Instead, our trust was violated and we now find ourselves without a key piece needed to fully evaluate the financial risks associated with the pipeline that runs through our Great Lakes, this is unacceptable,” Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a Wednesday news release.
DNV GL was hired by the state in 2016 after a vetting process. Michigan also hired Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems, Inc. to prepare a second alternative analysis report on Line 5.
The state says Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems is expected to deliver its draft report at the end of June. The report will also be posted on the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline’s website for public review and comment.
Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems will present its findings during a public meeting at Holt High School on July 6. The state will hold three public forums about the Line 5 report on July 24 in the Lansing area and Traverse City and July 25 in St. Ignace.