Environmental groups across Michigan are pushing back after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed it will fast-track Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project without conducting a full environmental review.
Line 5 is a 645 mile pipeline that transports crude oil and natural gas liquids beneath the Straits of Mackinac. Speeding up the project is a response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency.
Ashley Rudzinsky with the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities says fast-tracking Line 5 without a thorough review violates at least two state laws and raises concerns about potential oil spills.
“We have also seen many of our partners in this work and allies. The six tribal nations here in Michigan pull out of continued negotiations with the Army Corps. In my estimation, that is because this process has become a sham.”
Critics of the Line 5 tunnel are urging Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to deny the necessary permits, and Rudzinski warns the project may also become a burden on consumers if the tunnel cost is passed on to them.
Enbridge responded in a statement saying in part, “Line 5 is critical energy infrastructure” and it is safe.
