Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a section of its Line 5 pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld permits for Enbridge's $500 million project to build a protective tunnel around a six-kilometer section of its aging Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. Environmental and Indigenous groups argued that the Michigan Public Service Commission failed to consider whether the entire pipeline remains necessary. The court ruled that the commission acted reasonably. Enbridge, which has operated the pipeline since 1953, plans to enhance safety with the tunnel. However, legal challenges persist, including a lawsuit by Michigan's Democratic Attorney General to void the pipeline's easement. Enbridge still requires federal permits to proceed.
