Those for and those against constructing a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac are making their cases. A comment period for the necessary permits from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy ends this Friday.
Environmental activists are appealing to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Director of EGLE, Phil Roos, to urge the state to reject permits to build the tunnel.
Representatives of the National Wildlife Foundation, Clean Water Action, Oil & Water Don’t Mix, and indigenous nations say the permits would give Enbridge the ability to destroy wetlands. They say EGLE has the authority to deny permits that would harm water quality, threaten ecosystems, or perpetuate climate risks.
The proposed tunnel would house a roughly four mile new segment of the Line 5 oil and natural gas liquids pipeline, operated by Enbridge. Currently, Line 5 is 72-year-old twin pipelines sitting on the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac.
The environmental groups not only want the permits to pave the way for the construction of the tunnel to be denied, they want Line 5 shut down.
Business groups and construction workers want EGLE to approve the permits for the tunnel. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Manufacturers Association, construction workers and some groups based in the Upper Peninsula submitted thousands of signatures from people supporting the construction of the tunnel.
August 29th is the last day citizens can submit a comment to EGLE on the proposed tunnel project.
Comments about the construction of the proposed tunnel and any environmental damage caused by it are being taken online or through the mail until August 29. You can learn more about the permits and leave comments here. Or you can submit comments by mail to:
EGLE, GDO-WRD
P.O. Box 30458
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7958
or by email to egleenbridge-public-comments@michigan.gov
This is among the last permits Enbridge needs in order to begin construction of the tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. It is also awaiting a decision on permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Enbridge is one of Michigan Public's corporate sponsors.
