Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration approved permits Wednesday that will bring construction of Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project a step closer to fruition.
The water resources permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy allows Enbridge to conduct work in sensitive areas as it seeks to build the long-sought tunnel project, which would house a replacement segment of the oil pipeline in a 21-foot-diameter tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge has said the tunnel proposal is needed to make a “safe pipeline safer.”
Enbridge requested permission from EGLE to fill, grade and construct within 1.5 acres of wetlands on the north side of the straits and to impact 800 square feet of submerged land on the south side for a planned water intake structure.
EGLE’s renewal of permits marks “an important step forward for a project designed to further protect the Great Lakes while helping ensure the uninterrupted flow of energy that supports Michigan and the region,” said Enbridge spokesperson Michael Barnes. “We are reviewing the new permit conditions issued today to assess any impacts on tunnel construction.”
