Michigan Supreme Court rejects permit for Enbridge oil pipeline under Great Lakes
The 6-1 ruling requires regulators to redo the environmental review after finding gaps in the permit analysis and alternatives assessment.
- On Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court vacated a key permit for the proposed Enbridge Energy Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, ordering the Michigan Public Service Commission to redo its environmental review.
- The 6-1 ruling found the MPSC failed to consistently examine alternatives to the project or adequately consider how continued pipeline operation impacts public trust resources, such as the Great Lakes.
- Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote that regulators erred by not determining if the tunnel would extend the lifespan of the 73-year-old pipeline, creating further environmental harms.
- Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy expressed disappointment over the project's long review, while Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle praised the decision as a victory for treaty rights and water protection.
- The existing pipeline will continue transporting about 540,000 barrels of oil daily across the Straits while the commission conducts its new review, likely delaying tunnel construction for years.
34 Articles
34 Articles
The Michigan Supreme Court is holding back a tunnel project under the Great Lakes for an Enbridge pipeline linking Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario.
Michigan Supreme Court rejects permit for Enbridge oil pipeline under Great Lakes
The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered state regulators to reconsider a permit for a tunnel carrying an oil pipeline under the Great Lakes.
Michigan Supreme Court tosses state regulator’s approval of Line 5 tunnel project
The Michigan Public Service Commission must revisit its order approving the Enbridge Energy Line 5 tunnel project because it did not properly examine environmental harms that might arise from extending the pipeline’s lifespan, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Friday. The…
Michigan Supreme Court halts Line 5 tunnel project, orders more review
State regulators who took years to review the environmental effects of a Straits of Mackinac tunnel project must go back to the drawing board.
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