Michigan’s New Opportunity to Protect the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a national treasure, holding 21% of the world’s fresh surface water and a critical resource for drinking water, tourism, recreation, and jobs. But for decades, these waters have been threatened by Canadian fossil fuel giant Enbridge’s Line 5, a 72-year-old crude oil pipeline. It runs through the Straits of Mackinac—a fragile, irreplaceable ecosystem protected by tribal treaty. With a new administration in Washington, DC, prioritizing Big Oil, Michigan faces a renewed challenge in 2025 to protect this natural resource. However, the State of Michigan holds a powerful opportunity to act decisively by denying the permit to expand Line 5 into a tunnel through the Great Lakes.
Now is the time for action.
Michigan residents and concerned citizens across the country must raise their voices. There is an open comment period on the proposed tunnel project open through August 29th.
Together, we can ensure that the Great Lakes are protected for future generations.
Enbridge's 72-year-old Line 5 pipeline has spilled 1.1 million gallons along its length. In 2010, another Enbridge pipeline ruptured in the Kalamazoo River, spilling over 1 million gallons of oil in one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history. Its construction projects have punctured aquifers and violated treaties. Despite this track record, Enbridge now wants to build a massive tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac to extend the life of its 72-year-old Line 5 crude oil pipeline.
The State of Michigan has clear authority and a legal duty to safeguard its natural resources. Under state and federal environmental laws, the proposed Line 5 tunnel requires a clean water permit. Crucially, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has the authority to deny permits that would harm water quality, threaten ecosystems, or perpetuate climate risks.
By denying this required Line 5 oil tunnel permit, Michigan can take a stand to protect its waters and its communities.
Red Flags on Tunnel Project
Scientific experts are raising serious red flags about Enbridge's tunnel proposal, including difficult geologic conditions, poor quality bedrock, fault zones, unconsolidated sediments, and high groundwater pressures. The company took boring samples every 950 feet, which is significantly less than the industry standard of every 50 to 200 feet, and plans to discharge up to 5 million gallons of wastewater per day into Lake Michigan during construction. The company's proposed tunnel involves excavating millions of cubic yards from lands under the lakebed. This work clearly falls under state regulatory authority. But the company says these underwater lands somehow don't qualify as "bottomlands" under the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act (GLSLA). Michigan needs a comprehensive review of the entire 4.3-mile tunnel project and its full range of environmental and safety impacts.
Add Your Voice - Protect the Great Lakes
Send a strong message to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Governor Whitmer that all the impacts of a massive oil tunnel project need to be examined and that the permit for the Line 5 tunnel should be denied.
