A January 20 executive order might expedite the permitting process for Enbridge’s contentious tunnel project, according to critics of the company’s Line 5 pipeline.
For years, environmental groups and indigenous activists have opposed the pipeline, citing concerns over a four-mile section that connects Lake Michigan with Lake Huron and passes through the Straits of Mackinac.
An anchor strike in 2018 caused the pipeline to be dented in three places, and another cable or anchor strike in 2019 damaged a support and the pipeline’s protective coating, raising more concerns about the pipeline bursting.
Line 5 transports more than 22 million gallons of light crude oil and light synthetic crude through the straits every day, and opponents say that a spill from the pipeline would be disastrous.
Enbridge negotiated a deal with Republican Governor Rick Snyder in 2018 to construct a utility tunnel in the Straits with the goal of controlling any possible spills, despite protestors’ claims that the pipeline poses too much of a risk to continue running.
The two pipelines would be moved inside a tunnel lined with concrete that would be buried beneath the lake. However, the pipeline needs approvals from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Michigan Public Service Commission, and the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) before construction can begin.
Members of the anti-Line 5 coalition Oil and Water Don’t Mix are warning that President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency may speed up the permit review process, even though the Army Corps of Engineers announced in March 2023 that it would extend its environmental review for the tunnel project, with plans to issue its draft environmental impact statement in Spring 2025.
The Line 5 tunnel project is one of those being considered for an emergency permit on the corps website. The USACE has until February 20 to designate emergency projects for expedited processing.
The coalition said that emergency approval would jeopardize the lengthy environmental evaluation procedure.
The antithesis of emergency action is rushing the regulatory procedure for an oil tunnel beneath the Great Lakes; this is reckless hazard. Sean McBrearty, the coordinator of the Oil and Water Don’t Mix campaign, stated in a statement. In addition to supporting a multibillion dollar tourism and fishing industry, the Great Lakes supply millions of people with drinking water. It is not urgent to make sure that Enbridge may continue to use the Great Lakes as a bypass to transport unnecessary Canadian oil. Instead of being a rubber stamp project, this is the kind that requires close examination and active public involvement.
The group warns that Trump’s executive order raises severe issues about environmental protection and transparency, directing the USACE to use its emergency powers as fully as possible.
According to McBrearty, the public has a right to comment on initiatives that may affect their communities, livelihoods, and water for future generations. We’re alerting the Army Corps, keeping a careful eye on the process, and opposing any attempt to obstruct necessary environmental evaluations or stifle public opinion.
Oil and Water Don’t Mix has insisted that the USACE uphold its comprehensive environmental review procedure, provide significant public involvement opportunities, and deny any attempts to designate the project as an emergency requiring a rushed review.
Similar concerns were voiced by the National species Federation, which said that accelerating the project would create a risky precedent and endanger the Great Lakes’ species and inhabitants.
Ryan Duffy, a spokesman for Enbridge, stressed that the pipeline is essential energy infrastructure when questioned about the USACE permit status for the tunnel project.
According to an email from Duffy, Enbridge filed its permission applications for the Great Lakes Tunnel in April 2020. The project’s goal is to make a safe pipeline safer while simultaneously guaranteeing the Great Lakes region’s continuous safe, secure, and reasonably priced supply of vital energy.
According to Duffy, the project is still awaiting action on an environmental impact statement and a permitting decision five years after the state gave its environmental permits and the MPSC authorized the company’s design for the tunnel project.
The Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and a number of environmental organizations have filed legal challenges against the MPSC’s permit, which is currently being appealed.
As part of a legal agreement with EGLE and the Bay Mills Indian Community, Enbridge must also reapply for one of its permits, allowing its current water resources to expire on February 25, 2026, while including updated information on the project’s potential impacts on nearby wetlands in its new application.
In an email to the Advance, EGLE Strategic Communications Advisor Scott Dean stated that the company had finished mapping wetlands that might be affected by the project and that the Wetland Identification Program had completed their work in advance of Enbridge’s application for a Great Lakes bottomlands permit and wetlands protection. But according to Dean, this application hasn’t been turned in yet.
With its existing permission expiring on October 1, 2025, Enbridge also submitted a new application for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit last week, according to Dean. This permit, which was first introduced by the Clean Water Act in 1972, places restrictions on the quantity of pollutants that can be released into a body of water in an effort to preserve its quality.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.