LANSING, March 7.  The Michigan Public Service Commission
today approved Wolverine Pipe Line Company's application, as modified by
its February 5, 2001 filing, to construct, operate and maintain a 12 and 16-inch
outer diameter liquid petroleum products pipeline system in Jackson, Ingham,
and Clinton counties.  Today's order approved Wolverine's  motion to
withdraw the portion of its original application that represents "the primary
subject matter of intervention, objection and public concern," specifically, the
part of the proposed 12-inch line between I-96 and the LaPaugh station in
Bengal Township, Clinton County.   Wolverine's original application, filed
March 3, 2000, sought to construct, operate, and maintain a 16 inch outer
diameter liquid petroleum products pipeline system that would extend from
Wolverine's Jackson Meter station in Blackman Township, Jackson County to
its Stockbridge Meter station in Stockbridge Township, Ingham County, and a
12-inch outer diameter line that would run from the Stockbridge station to
Wolverine's LaPaugh Meter Station. 
     The Commission concluded that a need had been established for the
proposed pipeline system, as modified, noting that Wolverine's current 8-inch
pipeline which was used as a replacement source of supply following closure
of the Total/USD refinery in Alma, did not possess sufficient capacity to
supply the current and future needs of the service area.  The Commission also
found that safety will be enhanced by the proposed pipeline system, since it
would eliminate the need for 250 to 350 tanker trucks from Michigan's roads
each day.  Since nearly all of Wolverine's new pipeline facilities will be
located in rural areas and will be constructed either in or directly adjacent to
existing utility easements, the pipeline's construction and operation should
cause a minimum of inconvenience and significantly limit the potential for
third-party damage.  Finally, Wolverine has submitted evidence that it will
construct, operate and maintain the pipeline system in a manner that exceeds
all federal safety requirements.
     Wolverine, headquartered in Houston, Texas, operates 1,100 miles of
product pipeline in the Midwest.
     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and
Industry Services.





Case No. U-12334
March 7, 2001
(MPSC approves Wolverine Pipe Line's application, as modified, for liquid
petroleum products pipeline system)