MICHIGAN - Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formally announced that Enbridge’s Line 5 oil tunnel will receive fast-track approval. If built, this project would be located in the heart of the Great Lakes where geological experts have sounded the alarm about the risk of an underwater explosion occurring during construction.
In 2022 more than 11,300 Michigan residents told the Army Corps they wanted a thorough study of the proposed oil tunnel, and now the Trump administration is ignoring that in favor of delivering a boondoggle project for the oil industry. The Army Corps will forgo the formal environmental impact statement (EIS) process required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), because the Trump administration mistakenly believes that our country is facing an “energy emergency.” Despite this so-called U.S. “energy emergency” forcing expedited permitting, it should be noted that Line 5 is a Canadian owned and operated pipeline with a vast majority of the product consumed in the Canadian market.
In response to this news, Sean McBrearty, campaign coordinator for Oil & Water Don’t Mix and Michigan Director for Clean Water Action, issued the following statement:
“Let’s call this decision out for what it is: a sham. By avoiding looking at the impact the Line 5 tunnel would have on the Great Lakes that families, industries, and Indigenous peoples rely on, the Army Corps is simply taking orders to not do their job and avoid looking at the actual problems with building this monster. Folks shouldn’t forget that a major Trump donor stands to profit off the tunnel getting built, and this apparent tit-for-tat will come at the expense of 20 percent of the world’s fresh, available surface water just because of wealthy fossil fuel corporations’ interests.
“On the heels of her recent White House visit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a responsibility to speak out and act on this issue that would affect the health and safety of all Michiganders. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) must do the right thing and deny Enbridge’s permit for its Great Lakes oil tunnel. We need full permitting for the Line 5 tunnel project, which means thoroughly vetting its environmental, economic, and social impacts. Anything short of that would be giving Enbridge - a corporation with a dangerous track record operating in Michigan - a blank check for a project that has no business getting built.”
