BREAKING NEWS: On Friday the Michigan Supreme Court vacated the Michigan Public Service Commission’s permit for Enbridge Line 5 tunnel under the Mackinac Straits. Read more about this win for Michigan tribes, business and the Great Lakes at the Oil and Water Don’t Mix site here.
OWDM Line 5 Campaign Briefing
What Comes Next?
Tuesday, August 11
7:00 p.m.
The permit for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel issued by Gov. Whitmer’s environmental agency has prompted widespread condemnation from Michigan tribes, businesses and environmental organizations. But the fight to shut down the most dangerous oil pipeline in North America is far from over. Join Sierra Club and our coalition partners in Oil and Water Don’t Mix (OWDM) for a virtual briefing on August 11 on What Comes Next in this effort to protect the Great Lakes, our economy and sacred archaeological sites for Michigan tribes.
Take time as well to watch the short OWDM video “Whitmer Approves Tunnel Permit: Has She Been Captured by Big Oil? ” During her campaign for governor in 2018, Gov. Whitmer was very clear that the existing Line 5 dual pipelines across the Mackinac Straits needed to be shut down as soon as possible. The permit her agency approved would guarantee another six to ten years for these deteriorated pipelines to carry oil and natural gas liquids through the worst possible place in the Great Lakes, continuing the threat and ensuring Enbridge will continue to profit from the delay.
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A History of Line 5
The Enbridge Line 5 pipeline was constructed in 1953 and built to last 50 years. The pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. The 30-inch pipeline splits into two separate 20-inch lines and runs under the Straits of Mackinac, a 4.5 mile wide stretch of water in Michigan, which separates Lake Michigan from Lake Huron.
Enbridge and the Kalamazoo River Disaster
The July 25, 2010, Kalamazoo River Disaster caused by Enbridge Energy's broken pipeline was one of the biggest inland oil spills in U.S. history. At least 1 million gallons of diluted bitumen (dilbit), a heavy, thick crude oil that’s hard to pump without diluting it with hydrocarbons, spilled into the Talmadge Creek, near Marshall, and then flowed downstream to the Kalamazoo River, contaminating 35 miles of the river. When the line broke, the sludge gradually sank to the bottom while the volatile hydrocarbons poisoned the air. Hundreds of homes and businesses had to be evacuated. About 150 families moved away permanently In 2013, University of Michigan experts identified the Straits of Mackinac as the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill. The current in the Straits changes direction 180 degrees on an average of every 1.5 days, and the peak flow of water through the Straits is over 10 times the flow of water over Niagara Falls. This is also an important indigenous cultural resource and one of the busiest shipping lanes in the Great Lakes. (2012 report - Inside Climate News). No one can say for sure how much sludge the dredging operation left at the bottom of Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.
In 2012, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) published ‘Sunken Hazard’ calling attention to Enbridge Line 5 in light of the disaster from the massive breach of the company’s pipeline in the Kalamazoo River basin. NWF’s report brought attention for the first time to the potential dangers posed by Line 5, which was virtually unknown until then. Michigan tribes, environmental organizations, businesses and communities began to organize to seek a shut down of Line 5.
In 2016, University of Michigan experts identified the Straits of Mackinac as the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill. The currents in the Straits change direction 180 degrees on an average of every 1.5 days, and the peak flow of water through the Straits is over 10 times the flow of water over Niagara Falls. This area is an important indigenous cultural resource and is also covered by treaties that guarantee tribes will have access to fishing throughout the region in perpetuity. The Straits are one of the busiest shipping lanes in the Great Lakes.
Line 5 has leaked more than 33 times and at least 1.1 million gallons along its length since 1968. Yet, every day nearly 23 million gallons of oil flow through these aging pipelines located in the heart of the Great Lakes, threatening one of the most ecologically sensitive areas in the world. The Great Lakes are home to 21 percent of the fresh surface water on Earth, providing 40 million people with clean drinking water and supporting a thriving economy for Michigan families.
In 2018, a dragged anchor struck Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac, causing three large gouges in the pipeline. Enbridge control systems didn’t detect the anchor strike, and despite not having video evidence of the pipeline’s condition for over two weeks, Enbridge never shut the pipeline down. Just two years later, another anchor struck Line 5, damaging structural support – likely caused by an Enbridge contractor. A judge ordered a temporary shutdown until the damage could be assessed.
During the 2018 election, both Gretchen Whitmer and Dana Nessel committed to taking steps to shut down Line 5 where it crosses the Straits. As attorney general, Nessel moved quickly to sue Enbridge in state court seeking to shut down the pipeline across the straits. In November 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Dan Eichinger revoked the 1953 easement which allowed Enbridge to operate their Line 5 dual pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac. The state revoked the easement for violations of the public trust doctrine and the unreasonable risk Line 5 poses to the Great Lakes. Enbridge was given 180 days to comply with the shutdown order. The deadline came and went, yet Enbridge continues to operate the pipeline today, violating the law. Court battles have ensued, and as each day passes, Line 5 remains a ticking time bomb in the Great Lakes.
University of Michigan experts identify the Straits of Mackinac as the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill, with over 700 miles of shoreline at risk if Line 5 ruptures.
The Great Lakes Tunnel & Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Enbridge wants to relocate a portion of Line 5 into a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. However, a tunnel is not a safe solution. Experts have warned there is a risk of explosion, based on a geotechnical investigation. This could be deadly to construction workers inside the tunnel, not to mention an explosion could have catastrophic consequences for the existing Line 5 pipeline, the Straits of Mackinac, and the treasured Great Lakes. Additionally, building new fossil fuel infrastructure is counterproductive to the policies in place to combat the climate crisis.
Before Enbridge can move forward with construction on the Great Lakes Tunnel, they must acquire permits from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), the Michigan Public Service Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In 2021, EGLE issued permits to Enbridge but later determined that Enbridge had significantly understated the amount of wetlands to be affected. In addition, many organizations engaged in the permitting process are arguing that the State of Michigan has an obligation to require and review permits for the construction of the proposed tunnel under the Great Lakes bottomlands, which has not yet happened. Enbridge has reapplied by the EGLE permits and in April 2025 EGLE is reviewing these applications for completeness, with an expectation that public input will be taken on the proposed permits later in 2025.
In 2021, the USACE announced they would conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Line 5 tunnel before arriving at a permitting decision. This environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, enacted in 1970) requires federal agencies to consider environmental and other effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions and gives citizens the opportunity to voice their opinions. However, in April 2025, under President Trump’s Energy Emergency Executive Order, the USACE authorized “special emergency processing procedures” for this project as well as others. This change is expected to undermine the NEPA review process.
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa vs. Enbridge Line 5
Simultaneous with the fight to shut down Line 5 across the Straits of Mackinac, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are fighting to remove Line 5 from illegally trespassing on tribal lands and block it from building a new pipeline just upstream of their lands. Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter and many others are supporting the efforts of the tribe to end an imminent threat to their way of life from the pipeline, which is on the verge of being exposed along the Bad River through decades of erosion. Permitting for the proposed reroute of the Line 5 pipeline is under consideration at both the USACE and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in early April 2025. A 2024 documentary film, “Bad River,” provides an excellent overview of the fight to remove Line 5 from the tribe’s lands.
Learn More!
Additional resources include:
The Place of the Great Turtle, a 2023 SIERRA Magazine article and film about the fight to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.
Also, check out The Current, a blog by Jeffrey Insko for Oil and Water Don’t Mix covering the history and current situation of Enbridge Line 5 here.
Stay up to date on Line 5 news by checking out our partner organization, Oil & Water Don't Mix: