Opponents Urge Michigan to Reevaluate Line 5 Tunnel Water Permit

Opponents of the Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac urge Michigan to reconsider environmental impacts.
Groups want Michigan officials to deny a permit for a proposed tunnel for Enbridge Line 5

Debate Intensifies Over Proposed Pipeline Tunnel Under the Straits of Mackinac

A heated discussion continues over the construction of a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac to house the aging Line 5 pipeline. Opponents urge the State of Michigan to scrutinize the project more thoroughly as the review of a Water Resources Permit approaches.

Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline corporation, plans to reroute its 72-year-old Line 5 through a new tunnel instead of leaving it on the lakebed. This area is a critical four-mile channel linking Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a key player in the tunnel’s approval process, has issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement. The process is expedited by a directive from President Donald Trump, tied to his “national energy emergency” declaration.

During a recent gathering, critics argued that the Army Corps is less focused on environmental repercussions than the Michigan Public Service Commission and EGLE, both of which have granted permits, with EGLE’s due for reevaluation.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Map of the proposed Line 5 tunnel from the draft Environmental Impact Statement recently released by the Corps.

Environmental advocates like Sean McBrearty, Michigan state director of Clean Water Action, argue that the draft overlooks crucial environmental impacts. McBrearty said, “Nobody so far in this permitting process have looked at the actual environmental impacts of building a tunnel through the most sensitive part of the bottomlands of the Great Lakes.”

The legal struggle over the pipeline involves keeping a lawsuit by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in state courts amidst a debate on Michigan’s public trust rights over the Straits’ bottomlands, as explained by Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director of For the Love of Water (FLOW).

Concerns also arise from Native American tribes about potential harm to ancient structures on the lake bed and from Canada invoking treaty rights that secure cross-border energy transfers.

Kirkwood noted that Enbridge views Line 5 as essential infrastructure, primarily benefiting Ontario and Quebec, despite its route through Michigan. She stated, “And they’re saying that multinational corporations should be able to trump sovereign rights of states and indigenous peoples because oil is more important and their profits are more important than our ability to govern and protect the most important thing, which is water.”

McBrearty also accused Enbridge of trying to undermine opposition by promoting the project through media advertisements and community incentives.

In response, Enbridge stated via email, “In designing and constructing the tunnel, Enbridge is working with state and federal agencies to study and develop plans that will minimize and mitigate impacts to the natural environment, natural resources, cultural heritage and community priorities.”

The event, organized by the Groundwork Center, concluded with a call to action, reporting that over 800 letters have been sent to Governor Whitmer and Director Roos.


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