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.
22 Articles
22 Articles
The Toronto Star
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…
Gretchen Whitmer admin approves Line 5 tunnel permitting — despite Whitmer opposition
It was a policy reversal few people saw coming: Wednesday’s permitting approval for the Line 5 tunnel by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and another permit issued by Whitmer’s Department of Natural Resources. The EGLE permit allows dredging of wetlands and the Straits of Mackinac lakebed, while the DNR permit allows tunnel construction to proceed with acceptable levels of impact on wildlife and foliage…
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