Happy Wednesday! We hope you are enjoying the nice and warm weather!
We blogged about Enbridge’s Line
5 and its Great Lakes Tunnel back in December 2023, when they received the
first of many approvals on its way to increasing their capacity. Then, back in April 2024 Enbridge announced
whom they were hiring to build their tunnel once they have received all their
permits. The $500 million project
includes a tunnel which runs under the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac where
the waterway connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron and its approval is hitting
many hurdles. The Mackinac Straights
Corridor Authority (MSCA) approved Enbridge’s request for proposal (RPF)
for the tunnel earlier in 2024. Check
out our Blog for more details.
Did anyone
happen to see the ILTA Weekly Newsletter, February
26, 2025, they had a teaser for a reprinted article from WIZM-AM (NEWS TALK)
titled, “Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Enbridge $500 million
oil pipeline under Great Lakes”? In the
article, it speaks on how Enbridge Energy who had received its approvals
back in 2023 from Michigan Public Service Commission to build a tunnel for a section
of Line 5 under the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac received a favorable ruling
last Wednesday from Michigan’s Court of Appeals. Michigan’s Court of Appeals found the state commission
had followed protocol and considerations when it granted the permits. Enbridge plans on constructing a
tunnel approximately 4.5-miles long around its Line 5 to protect it, and this
came about due to their pipeline’s protective layer has disparities and a near-miss
incident happened in 2018 when an anchor hit the underwater line. In 2018, Enbridge and Michigan’s Gov.
Rick Synder’s administration worked out an accord to build a tunnel to protect
the pipeline, after the near-miss incident.
Unfortunately,
this was only one of several lawsuits trying to stop the tunnel or close the
pipeline down. The environmental and
tribal groups have other lawsuits pending in Michigan against Enbridge. Unlike the preceding governor’s office, the
current administration wants the 4.5 miles of Line 5 which runs under the
strait to be shutdown permanently, and in 2019 they filed to remove its 1953 right-of-way
agreement to run the seventy-two-year-old line under the Straits of Mackinac. It’s currently waiting on a ruling in this
case. Even if Enbridge wins, they
still need its environmental impact statement (EIS) from the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and this isn’t expected to be completed until 2026, and their respective
permits. They will need the approval from Michigan Department of Environment, Great
Lakes and Energy, too. For Enbridge
this is the price of doing business with all these checks, balances, and
roadblocks. Enbridge’s Line 5 is
on its way to be a safer, more environmentally friendly pipeline getting the U.S.
Great Lakes region much needed energy. If
you would like to read more of the WIZM-AM’s (NEWS TALK) article, please
click the link: Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Enbridge $500 million oil pipeline under Great Lakes - WIZM 92.3FM 1410AM.
If you would
like help in looking into how to transport your product efficiently, safely, and
with less of a carbon footprint or just find out what is underneath your feet
to help with your emission reduction goals, contact us via email in the Blog
and check out our ESC website!
We hope you have a wonderful evening!
**Disclaimer: You may be charged a fee to read WIZM-AM’s
(NEWS TALK) article. **