Latest news with #EnbridgeEnergy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis on Line 5 project identifies short and long term risks
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Federal regulators have released a long-awaited study on the environmental impact of the Line 5 Project. On Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District published its initial analysis for the project that would seek to build an underground tunnel for the aging Enbridge oil pipeline that runs along the Straits of Mackinac. The federal review took over a year longer to publish than expected. Enbridge Energy wants to build a tunnel to hold a portion of its 70-year-old oil pipeline that sits at the bottom of the straits connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The project was proposed in 2018 at $500 million but has been bogged down by legal challenges. The four-mile pipeline currently moves about 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. According to the report, building the tunnel would reduce the risk of things like boat anchors rupturing the pipeline, which could cause a potentially disastrous oil spill. In the short term, the report says construction lights and cranes would significantly impact views and disrupt recreational areas like the dark sky park. In the long run, the a loss of vegetation along both sides of the straits and the loss of hundreds of trees along the shoreline that contain numerous species of bats. Included in the analysis is a pledge from Enbridge saying they're determined to comply with all safety standards and replant vegetation where possible and contain erosion. The report is just an initial assessment. A final analysis is expected by autumn, with a permitting decision to follow. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District is conducting a 30-day public comment period on the project that lasts from May 30 to June 30. Anyone is welcome to provide comments or concerns using these methods: The . Virtual public meetings: Wednesday, June 18, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on or via audio: +1 646 558 8656 Wednesday, June 25, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. or via audio: +1 301 715 8592 Written comments (postmarked by June 30, 2025) mailed to: Line 5 Tunnel EIS 6501 Shady Grove Road, P.O. Box 10178 Gaithersburg, MD 20898 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Army Corps of Engineers greenlights public comment period on Line 5 tunnel
The Mackinac Bridge in the Straits of Mackinac, May 27, 2024 | Susan J. Demas Enbridge Energy's controversial Line 5 tunnel project will move forward to a 30-day public comment period after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday released a draft environmental impact statement, which did not clear the project of all and potentially significant environmental concerns raised by activists and lawmakers opposed to the pipeline and its proposed tunnel. The proposed plan is to construct a 3.6 mile tunnel under the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac that would house a replacement segment of Line 5. The pipeline consists of two 20-inch diameter pipes that are buried in sediment near the shore and rest on, or are anchored to, the lakebed of the Stratis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. Enbridge's aim is to have that tunnel approved for permitting by the federal government through the Army Corp's review process. It is their preferred alternative to no action from the Corps, which the company has said could result in less environmental security and certainty. Other alternatives include bolstering the tunnel with protective materials or the decommissioning of the pipeline altogether, which is what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel set out to do shortly after they entered office in 2018. Enbridge called the release of the impact statement and opening the public comment period a significant milestone for the project. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'It is the result of more than five years of rigorous and comprehensive permit review and stakeholder engagement including input from Tribes and is a critical step forward in planning a project that will modernize energy infrastructure, protect the Great Lakes, and ensure long-term energy reliability for Michigan and the broader region,' said Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy. 'We appreciate the extensive technical work that went into this document and the opportunity to contribute detailed responses to numerous data and information requests – demonstrating our commitment to transparency and environmental, social and cultural responsibility.' Duffy added that it was Enbridge's goal for the proposed tunnel and the existing line to have 'the smallest possible environmental footprint.' 'The tunnel design already reflects that intent, and we will use the USACE's findings from the [impact statement] to further refine the project,' he said. Some activists who have fought against the continued operation of the line said this week that more work was needed to prevent the project from moving forward, while others said were disappointed in the state's efforts to shut down Line 5. Andrea Pierce, founder of the Michigan Anishinaabek caucus and policy director at the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, said Michigan needed to have good, clean, safe water for them to drink, to fish, to hunt, to gather. Those were also the hallmarks of the treaty rights granted to Tribes in Michigan. Pierce was critical of Whitmer's actions thus far. 'Governor Whitmer has done some things. She has [attempted to] shut them down. She revoked their easement. But that's it,' Pierce said. 'What else is being done? It's operating illegally. That pipeline for years now [has been] operating illegally. They're still making a profit off of us, off of Michigan citizens. They are making a profit, these Canadian companies, that needs to stop.' Enbridge initially filed to apply for permits to build the tunnel in April 2020. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working on the draft economic statement since then. In April, the Corps said its evaluation would move forward on a shortened timeline following an executive order from President Donald Trump. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirms Line 5 tunnel review to move forward under shortened timeline Meanwhile, the existence of Line 5 and its continued operation has been fought out in a winding legal battle that remains active even as the project hit a milestone of forward progress on Friday. Public comment on the project will end on June 30. Virtual public meetings are scheduled for June 18 and June 25, and comments will be collected online or through written submissions, which can be mailed to 6501 Shady Grove Road, P.O. Box 10178, Gaithersburg, MD 20898. The impact statement released Friday factored in many rounds of previous public comment and input from Tribal organizations, as well as analysis of the project plans and potential alternatives. The upshot: Enbridge's tunnel project could have numerous consequences for land ownership and land use, land and water-based recreation, water resources, area aesthetics and air quality, as well as biological, cultural and soil resources. As to the cultural resources affected, construction and operation of the tunnel would have adverse effects on archaeological sites and an existing archaeological district. Each of the activities associated with construction were listed as events that would destroy archaeological resources within the project footprint. Impacts to Tribal treaty rights were not noted in the report, but the Corps said those issues would be determined in its decision materials following the new round of public comment. A change of land ownership might be necessary at certain laydown areas as Enbridge would have to purchase land within the sites or acquire temporary or permanent easements. Direct, long-term and permanent detrimental impacts were associated with the project, the Corps said, as it related to undeveloped forest land that would need to be transformed into industrial sites, permanently altering the geology along the proposed tunnel site. Direct and detrimental effects to nearby recreational sites were noted due to the noise and aesthetic impacts of construction. Those impacts would likely end when construction was completed, however. Groundwater could be affected, but aquifer testing along the tunnel alignment site showed the surrounding aquifer would recover in a matter of days following construction. There is, however, concern for the potential release of drilling fluids and other contaminants associated with onshore material storage and the use of heavy equipment. That said, the Corps noted that those impacts would also end once construction ceased – but with a heavy caveat that the construction contractor would have to adhere to a spill plan and monitor onsite and nearby well water for up to two years following completion. To that end, surface water could be greatly affected by the project, as it would disturb the Straits during the installation of a water intake pipe. Approximately 20,000 gallons of drilling fluid – consisting of water and bentonite – would be released. The features would be removed following construction. The turbidity and sedimentation in the area would be affected on a limited basis in the work area, but direct and detrimental impacts were noted to surface water adjacent to the construction site due to erosion and sedimentation. An adherence to mitigation measures as a part of any approved permits would alleviate some of those concerns, and any long-term increases in stormwater would be managed by a permanent stormwater system. Again, the Corps noted detrimental impacts associated with the unintended release of contaminants like equipment fuel. Vegetation and wildlife disturbances in the area were also listed as factors, the latter of which would come from blasting activities during site preparation and the presence of workers in wildlife areas. The loss of approximately eight acres of habitat for protected species was noted, which would require ongoing coordination with the federal government and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Air quality would also be disturbed during construction, and proposed ventilation fans would add to noise nuisance, but only on an intermittent basis. The possibility of harmful emissions were noted to be significantly higher with Enbridge's proposed version of the tunnel project compared to an alternative that includes a gravel and protective rock cover. The reliability of the tunnel and its safety assurances were also analyzed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but the report noted that the possibility of a catastrophic anchor strike, which could potentially release oil into the Great Lakes, would be eliminated with the presence of a tunnel. Decommissioning the line also carried some potential localized and short-term consequences, the Army Corps said. Reactions to the project's forward progress were mixed, at best. Great Lakes Michigan Jobs – a business coalition composed of the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Grand Rapids Chamber, economic development organization InvestUP and the Upper Peninsula Construction Council – said in a joint statement issued Friday that they were ready to support the tunnel project as the public comment period commenced. The group also said that it was time to grant the project its permits to build the tunnel. 'Line 5 is an important piece of energy infrastructure for the continent, providing Michiganders with critical light crude and propane extracted from Canada,' Brian Shoaf, vice president of Public Policy and Business Advocacy with the Detroit Regional Chamber, said in a statement. Josh Lunger, vice president of government affairs with the Grand Rapids Chamber, said the tunnel wasn't just an energy project, it was a strategic infrastructure investment. 'Across the entire state, we count on Line 5. It powers our businesses, our job sites, and even our homes,' Lunger said in a statement. 'The Army Corps has been reviewing permit applications for more than five years. It's time to grant the permits.' Those who have been opposed to the project have said for years that the pipeline is a danger to the Great Lakes and the Straits of Mackinac. The tunnel project, in their view, would not alleviate the environmental concerns, but only stands to exacerbate them. As lawmakers and business leaders met for the Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference this week on Mackinac Island, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who gave a speech to the conference Thursday night, so too did activists gather to express concerns over Line 5. Ahead of the governor's annual speech, protesters marched through downtown Mackinac Island, where they planned to rally outside the Grand Hotel for a press conference denouncing the tunnel project. The protesters, however, were turned away at the bottom of the hill approaching the hotel by a person who said he was there on behalf of the hotel. The man informed the protesters that the sidewalks and roads leading to the hill were private property owned by the Grand Hotel. That did not deter the protesters from being heard, even as they were diverted away from the hotel. 'Governor Whitmer has stood up for the Great Lakes and all of us before, by revoking Line 5's illegal easement, but her work isn't done,' said Beth Wallace, the Great Lakes climate and energy director at the National Wildlife Federation. 'Now, Enbridge wants to blast and drill through the Great Lakes for years just to extend [the] life of a pipeline that will soon reach 80 years old and has already spilled at least 35 times. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes business network and regional experts confirm the project is absolutely not needed,' Wallace added that decommissioning Line 5 was 'the only honorable path forward, and means we're honoring treaties and public trust, supporting domestic energy supplies and alternatives, creating more jobs in decommissioning, avoiding noticeable price increases, and it's important to notice we are paying for the tunnel.' 'Those price increases are going to happen in the rates that Enbridge is already setting,' Wallace said. 'The proposed tunnel isn't about safety or providing our communities with energy, it's about Enbridge's profits.' Michigan Advance reporter Kyle Davidson contributed to this report. This story was updated to reflect that the correct name is the Michigan Anishinaabek caucus.
Fast Company
07-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Under Trump's emergency order, this pipeline through the Great Lakes wetlands could get fast-tracked
The Army Corps of Engineers, citing a recent national energy emergency order by President Trump, has expedited a permit review for a new miles-long section of an oil and gas pipeline that would bore deep into protected wetlands bordering Canada and the United States. The pipeline request from Enbridge Energy, a Canadian company, would cut beneath the Straits of Mackinac—the connecting waterway between Lakes Michigan and Huron—to install a tunnel 12 times as wide as above-ground existing pipelines. Tribal groups that had been cooperating with the Corps' environmental impact statement for the project pulled out when they learned of the emergency review. The Corps announced April 15 that the project, known as Line 5, fits under Trump's January order. The project is part of a 645-mile pipeline between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, that transports about 22 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily, according to the company website. The Corps' decision to expedite consideration came days before a sweeping change by the U.S. Department of Interior to hasten energy reviews. The federal agency said beginning April 23 that energy-related projects and, specifically, environmental impact reviews of such projects will move with unprecedented speed and with truncated public comment. Energy, under Trump's order, refers to fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal, along with geothermal, nuclear and hydropower. The Corps operates within the Defense Department, not the Interior Department. While the Interior policies do not apply to Line 5, they are likely to accelerate fossil fuel projects in the coming months. New emergency procedures from both departments in response to Trump's executive order are 'really ploughing new ground,' said Dave Scott, a senior attorney at the Environment Law & Policy Center, a legal advocacy group. 'There is a massive and real risk that the public won't be able to engage meaningfully with decisions that government agencies like the Corps are making that have significant impacts on the environment,' Scott said. The Interior Department announced last week it was pursuing what it called an ' alternative National Environmental Policy Act,' to allow for sharply compressed timelines for projects that 'strengthen domestic energy supply.' Projects that require an environmental assessment, which the department said now takes a year to complete, will be reviewed within 14 days. Projects in need of an environmental impact statement, which the department said can result in two years of study, will be reviewed in 'roughly 28 days,' according to its announcement. Scott also noted a second executive order, Unleashing American Energy, further erodes environmental protections for new projects. It directs the Council on Environmental Quality to consider rescinding National Environmental Policy Act regulations, which are the rules that require federal agencies to consider environmental impact when issuing permits. Environmental groups have questioned the need and the rationale behind the pipeline change. 'We know that there is no national energy emergency,' said Julie Goodwin, senior attorney at Earthjustice, the country's biggest public interest environmental firm. The U.S. produces more crude oil than any other country, ever, and has for the past six years. The emergency process 'is really a gift to the fossil fuel industry,' Goodwin said. At issue is Enbridge's replacement of two 20-inch diameter pipelines now buried close to shore and resting or supported on the lakebed. Instead, it wants to dig a 3.6-mile-long tunnel, with a 21-foot diameter, into the Straits' lakebed. The Corps is still developing an environmental impact statement for the Straits project, which it acknowledges will 'permanently impact 1.52 acres of wetlands, including 1.01 acres within the Corps' responsibility under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.' The statement is expected in June. 'The Detroit District has not yet determined the length of the public comment period for its Line 5 Tunnel,' the Corps said in an email. The standard comment period is 60 days, but the Corps' new policy for emergency reviews is 15 days. The Interior Department announcement last week may indicate a new public comment timeline in store for energy-related projects. In some cases, public comment at Interior would depend largely on the decision of department officials. Proposals found to have 'no significant impact' during an internal department assessment will have a report issued on a public website, the announcement said, and no public comment is required. For projects 'likely to have significant environmental impact,' a department official 'can determine the duration of the written comment period based on the nature of the action and the urgency of the emergency response, and the Department anticipates that most comment periods will be approximately 10 days,' Interior's announcement said. Regarding the pipeline project before the Corps, seven local tribes described the shortened environmental impact statement (EIS) process as 'unacceptable.' A letter was sent in March to the Corps and signed by representatives from the Bay Mills Indian Community, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. 'Tribal Nations are no longer willing to expend their time and resources as Cooperating Agencies just so their participation may be used by the Corps to lend credibility to a flawed EIS process and document,' the letter said. The Corps 'has disregarded its commitments to cooperating agencies and its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act by fully aligning itself with the applicant [Enbridge] at every step.' The emergency review process 'is really rewriting and bypassing critical and important laws for an unneeded pipeline,' said Beth Wallace, director of climate and energy at the National Wildlife Federation, the nonprofit conservation education and advocacy group. Enbridge has said the existing pipes, which date back to 1953, need replacement to prevent a possible oil spill. Burying the new pipeline section as much as 100 feet below the lakebed would 'eliminate the chance of a pipeline incident in the Straits,' according to the project website. 'Line 5 is critical energy infrastructure,' Enbridge said in an email to Inside Climate News. The tunnel project is 'designed to make a safe pipeline safer while also ensuring the continued safe, secure, and affordable delivery of essential energy to the Great Lakes region.' On its website, the company called its supply to Michigan 'vital' and said that 'Line 5 supplies 65% of propane demand in the Upper Peninsula, and 55% of Michigan's statewide propane needs.' Tribal groups, citizens, and environmentalists have called for decommissioning the pipeline out of concern for risks to freshwater sources and local ecosystems. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system on the planet, providing clean drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada. 'Enbridge's own pipelines have capacity to pick up product and move it to the same exact refineries and facilities,' said Wallace of the National Wildlife Federation. Investing further in fossil fuel infrastructure also runs counter to Michigan's plan to reach 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2050, she added. An economic analysis by PLG Consulting, a Chicago-based logistics firm, examined how shutting down Line 5 could impact energy markets. 'Surging output' has made North America energy independent and 'there is no risk of supply shortages,' the PLG report from October 2023 found. There are a 'multitude' of alternative supply sources from both domestic and international sources that could fill in for Line 5. Even today, no refinery relies entirely on Line 5 for its crude oil supply, the PLG report said. Enbridge is still waiting on several federal and state permits before it can begin construction. The state of Michigan issued environmental permits for the tunnel project in 2021 but those will expire next year. Enbridge re-applied earlier this year to renew the permits. The Michigan Public Service Commission approved the tunnel project in 2023 although Enbridge still needs the permitting decision from the Army Corps. The activist group Oil and Water Don't Mix is also urging citizens to demand that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer deny the pipeline permit to protect the Great Lakes. 'The state of Michigan has the opportunity to shut down Line 5,' Earthjustice's Goodwin said. 'And that's what should happen.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Four months after Enbridge oil spill, wary Jefferson County residents still want more answers
TOWN OF OAKLAND – About a mile west of Enbridge Energy's Cambridge Pump Station, dozens of residents from the Town of Oakland expressed ongoing concerns over the Line 6 oil spill during a meeting Monday night. It was the second time representatives of Enbridge and staff members with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources met with town leaders and residents to provide updates on the oil spill and explain what comes next in the cleanup effort. Laura Payne, town chair and environmental engineer, requested the meeting on behalf of the community, which is demanding transparency from the Canadian oil transport company. Late last year, Enbridge's Line 6 oil pipeline spilled nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil at the pumping station in Jefferson County. The 465-mile pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to a terminal near Griffith, Indiana. The Line 6 spill has raised concerns about when the public should be notified of a spill, as well as why the initial report was so wildly inaccurate. Those concerns persisted at Monday's town meeting. Enbridge reported a two-gallon spill to the DNR on Nov. 11, and updated the spill estimate to 126 gallons three days later. When the DNR notified the public of the spill on Dec. 13, the estimate was revised again, this time to 69,300 gallons. The spill was caused by a faulty valve, with the age of the part, installed in the early 1970s, listed as a contributing factor. Community members are demanding transparency from the company, highlighting the need for clearer answers and accountability in the cleanup process. Frequent and active communication from the start is key to success in situations like these, said Trevor Nobile, a field operations director with the DNR's Remediation and Redevelopment program. During the two-hour meeting, many residents expressed distrust about the amount of oil spilled, when it began and how much has been cleaned up. The aging infrastructure was another sticking point. Longtime resident Todd Touton brought up a lot of concerns about the future health of both the community and environment. 'We're talking about frightening things that could happen,' Touton said. The oil spill that occurred at the Cambridge Station is one of the most difficult kinds of releases to quantify because it's underground, and isn't visible, said Shane Yokom, an environment supervisor at Enbridge. While Enbridge determined that oil from the leak occurred gradually over time, Yokom said it's unclear when the Line 6 leak began. He suggested, though, that at this point the volume of the spill will not change. Enbridge has reported that 60% of the spill has been cleaned up. However, there has been considerable confusion regarding the extent of the cleanup and how the company determined this. Despite this, Enbridge representatives stand by that number, and Yokom said that cleanup figure is even conservative — that it's likely cleaned up more. Cleanup, emergency response and continued remediation are likely to cost at least $1.3 million. Nobile couldn't specify a timeframe of when the spill will be cleaned and the case closed, but the DNR official said everything was on track. As a part of the remediation plan outlined on Monday night, Enbridge said it will monitor groundwater and surface water quarterly, and additional soil excavation will be done in April. Environmental scientists with the company are testing for organic compounds found in petroleum products – and a variety of other products, called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Surface water sampling will be done alongside the Lake Ripley Water Management District. Oil migrating to Lake Ripley, the closest major body of water to the spill site, was another key concern at the meeting. The Jefferson County Health Department recommended expanding well water sampling to a half-mile radius after residents raised concerns at the first meeting. Previously, testing covered a quarter-mile radius, the state-required distance. Wells on 11 residential properties will be monitored. Yokom said there has only been groundwater contamination at the spill site, and it has not migrated elsewhere. Since the Line 6 spill occurred more than four months ago, DNR staff have been meeting onsite with Enbridge representatives biweekly. So far, the environmental impacts have been contained to the spill site, Caroline Rice, a hydrogeologist with the DNR, told the Journal Sentinel. "And that's a really big positive." Every community member who spoke also expressed appreciation that the company made time to answer questions. Payne is grateful for the open lines of communication between state and local agencies as well as Enbridge. She is confident the contamination is contained, but her top priority is making sure the community is safe and feels heard. "We need to look at this very closely and keep monitoring," Payne said. "I will be watching and making sure nothing happens." More: How could Enbridge's oil spill in Jefferson County go from 2 to nearly 70,000 gallons? More: Enbridge Line 6 oil spill raises alarm over Line 5 reroute risks, environmentalists warn Caitlin Looby is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and the Great Lakes. Reach her at clooby@ follow her on X @caitlooby and learn more about how she approaches her reporting. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jefferson County residents wary what Line 6 oil spill means for future
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Great Lakes pipeline tunnel project
Enbridge Energy's plans to build a protective tunnel around an aging pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes can continue, a Michigan appeals court ruled. The state Public Service Commission properly issued permits for the $500 million project, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in rejecting arguments from environmental groups and Native American tribes that commissioners failed to consider the overall need for the pipeline. Tunnel would encase pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a 4-mile (6-kilometer) section of its Line 5 pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Enbridge has been using the pipeline since 1953 to transport crude oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. Concerns about a potentially catastrophic spill in the straits have been building since 2017, when Enbridge officials revealed that engineers had known about gaps in the pipeline's coating in the straits since 2014. Fears of a spill escalated in 2018 when a boat anchor damaged the line. Enbridge officials maintain that the line is structurally sound, but they still reached an agreement with then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration in 2018 that calls for the company to build the protective tunnel. Environmental groups, tribes challenge state permits The Michigan Public Service Commission issued state permits for the project in December 2023. Environmental groups including the Michigan Environmental Council and the National Wildlife Federation, along with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the Nottawseppi Huron band of the Potawatomi asked the appellate court last year to reverse the commission's decision. The groups and the tribes alleged that the commission improperly considered only the public need for the tunnel rather than whether the entire pipeline as a whole is still necessary. They also argued the commission failed to adequately consider petroleum products' greenhouse gas impacts. Court: Commission acted reasonably The appellate court found that the commission issued a 'comprehensive' opinion and acted reasonably. It said there was no basis for a reversal or to order the commission to revisit its decision. David Scott, a senior attorney for the Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Michigan Climate Action Network, which are also plaintiffs in the case, said in an email that he was disappointed with the ruling and considering further moves. He didn't elaborate. Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy praised the decision, saying the tunnel will make a safe pipeline even safer. The legal fight isn't over The ruling Wednesday doesn't end the legal battle over the tunnel. Current Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, opposes the continued operation of Line 5 even if it's encased in a tunnel. Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit in 2019 seeking to void the easement that allows the line to run beneath the straits. That case is pending in state court in Ingham County. A ruling could come any day. Enbridge still needs federal construction permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, although environmentalists fear that President Donald Trump's administration will fast-track that process after Trump declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office.
