Building a pipeline tunnel under a Michigan waterway would cause some environmental damage but would also have “beneficial” effects, according to a long-awaited environmental analysis from the Army Corps of Engineers.
The agency concluded in its draft environmental impact statement that Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project would reduce the risk of a leak, while its construction could damage wetlands. The planned underground tunnel is designed to encase a replacement segment of the Line 5 pipeline, which moves light crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, in Canada.
The tunnel would run 3.6 miles underneath the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac, making it a divisive project. Last week, Line 5 opponents gathered on Mackinac Island to speak against the project.
The Line 5 project is seeking a permit to cross the Straits of Mackinac and affect adjacent wetlands. The Army Corps fast-tracked the federal permitting process this spring, citing President Donald Trump’s “energy emergency” executive order, and plans to make a final decision by the end of this year.
