Ask Gov. Whitmer and EGLE to Deny the Enbridge Tunnel Permit. The Great Lakes are a national treasure, holding 21% of the world’s fresh surface water and
providing a critical resource for drinking water, tourism, recreation and jobs. But for decades, Canadian fossil fuel giant Enbridge’s 72-year-old Line 5 crude oil pipeline has threatened the Great Lakes. Line 5 runs through the Straits of Mackinac—a fragile, irreplaceable ecosystem protected by tribal treaty. With a new administration in Washington prioritizing Big Oil, Michigan faces a renewed challenge in 2025 to protect this natural resource. However, the state of Michigan holds the power to act decisively by denying the permit to expand Line 5 into a tunnel through the Great Lakes. 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. Take action here through our coalition partner Oil and Water Don't Mix.
https://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/deny_tunnel_permit?utm_campaign=jan_25_campaign_call_recap&utm_medium=email&utm_source=oilandwaterdontmix
Groups Appeal MPSC Approval of Line 5 Tunnel.
On January 14, the Michigan Court of Appeals heard the appeal by environmental and tribal
groups challenging the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) decision to approve the proposed Enbridge Line 5 tunnel under the Mackinac Straits. Earthjustice, representing the Bay Mills Indian Community and other tribes, Environmental Law and Policy Center representing themselves and Michigan Climate Action Network, and For Love of Water (FLOW) provided strong arguments https://michiganadvance.com/2025/01/14/court-of-appeals-hears-arguments-against-line-5-tunnel-project/ for overturning the state utility agency’s decision. Attorneys for the MPSC and Enbridge argued in defense of the decision. The Court of Appeals hearing can be seen here, https://www.youtube.com/live/GhWaYfdXLRI?si=G51WASjyeOMMuJ4_ starting at about 3 minutes and ending at about 47 minutes. The court’s decision could take months to be issued.
State Court will Hear Nessel v. Enbridge on January 27.
After more than a five year delay, a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel to shut down Enbridge Line 5 based on alleged violations of the public trust doctrine, common law public nuisance and the Michigan Environmental Protection Act will be heard by Judge John Jamo of the Ingham County Circuit Court. The case filed in state court in June 2019 was delayed as Enbridge attempted and failed to move it to federal court.
Financial Experts Report Says Shutting Down Enbridge Line 5 Would Reduce Risk.
An independent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) published January 7, entitled “Enbridge should consider closing its old, troubled Line 5 pipeline,” https://ieefa.org/resources/enbridge-should-consider-closing-its-old-troubled-line-5-pipeline concludes that the proposed tunnel under the Mackinac Straits is “costly and ill-advised.” The authors looked at market trends for products from the crude oil and natural gas liquids carried in Line 5, the dramatically increased costs for the proposed tunnel and the additional costs for a proposed reroute of Line 5 around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Odawa lands. The report finds that “Enbridge should question whether it makes sense to keep sinking money into an old pipeline-prolonging the ‘carbon lock-in’ effect of the fossil fuel infrastructure-when markets for its products are on a declining trajectory.” The IEEFA report was produced with the company’s general funds without a request from a client. A webinar sponsored by For Love of Water presenting the findings of the IEEFA report was held on January 15, was recorded and will be available soon.