DNR Issues Line 5 Tunnel Permit with Conditions for Enbridge
EGLE said the tunnel permit follows a 16-month review and more than 70,000 public comments, with new conditions for wetlands and cultural resources.
- On Wednesday, Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and Department of Natural Resources issued permits for Enbridge's Great Lakes Tunnel Project after a robust 16-month review, clearing the way for expected federal approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Enbridge's original permit expired this year because construction had not begun, following roughly eight years of litigation sparked by public fears the 73-year-old Line 5 pipeline could rupture and cause catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes.
- The review considered more than 70,000 public comments and meetings with Tribal Nations, while EGLE officials acknowledged the project will have 'significant impacts,' including disruption to burial grounds sacred to Great Lakes Native American tribes and 1.53 acres of wetlands.
- Enbridge called the permits an important step forward, but Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes stated the decision demonstrates 'a disregard for our environment, our treaty rights, and tribal sovereignty,' while opponents vowed legal action.
- Federal approval from the Army Corps of Engineers—which expedited its review under the Trump administration—remains pending, as the Michigan Supreme Court prepares to rule on a 2023 permit challenge and the original climate review was shelved following Trump executive orders.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Line 5 tunnel in Michigan clears major permitting hurdle, in blow to opposition
Michigan regulatory officials on Wednesday issued several key permits for the construction of a tunnel to replace an aging section of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the waterways that straddle the state’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Officials said that the necessity of the project in preventing an oil spill in the Great Lakes outweighed other public interests. The controversial plan by Enbridge Energy would replace a dual segmen…
Associated Press News
Michigan issues Line 5 permits despite conceding its ‘significant impacts’
State agencies on Wednesday issued key permits for the controversial Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species.
Tribes, environmental advocates decry Michigan's approval of Line 5 permits
"Shut Down Line 5 - No Tunnel" sign on the grounds of the Michigan Capitol. | Laina G. StebbinsTwo state agencies charged with overseeing Michigan’s natural resources and the environment have approved another set of permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, pushing the Canadian energy company closer to the full approval needed to begin construction. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced Wednesday that it had reappro…
Tribes, environmental advocates decry Michigan’s approval of Line 5 permits
Two state agencies charged with overseeing Michigan’s natural resources and the environment have approved another set of permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, pushing the Canadian energy company closer to the full approval needed to begin construction. The Department…
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