Michigan governor refuses temporary oil pipeline shutdown

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has rejected a call to shut down twin oil pipelines in a Great Lakes waterway so their external coating can be inspected for gaps.

Snyder told the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board in a letter Monday the state could run short of propane if the flow of oil and liquid natural gas through Enbridge Inc.'s Line 5 were halted during winter.

Snyder also turned down two other proposals from board members. One would renegotiate an agreement with Enbridge to temporarily shut down the pipelines during stormy weather. Another would study ways to supply Michigan with oil and propane without Line 5.

The pipeline carries 23 million gallons daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. A 5-mile section runs through the waterway linking Lakes Michigan and Huron.