The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has reissued the permit for the Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 tunnel.
The proposed tunnel would house a replacement for the more than 70-year-old Line 5 light crude oil and natural gas pipelines currently lying on the lakebed. The Straits of Mackinac connects the Great Lakes of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
In 2021, EGLE issued Part 303 and Part 325 permit to Enbridge for the Great Lakes Tunnel Project. Because construction has not yet begun, that permit expired earlier this year. EGLE reissued the new permit following a 16-month review period covering Enbridge’s bottomlands and wetlands permit application.
The review concluded that the public and private need for the proposed tunnel outweighed other public interest criteria.
EGLE’s review included a public information session, public hearing, and consideration of more than 70,000 public comments. In addition, EGLE met the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan History Center, and the State Historic Preservation Office. It also held monthly consultation meetings with tribal nations and considered a report from an independent engineering firm.
As a condition of the permit, Enbridge will be required to submit an improved wetland mitigation plan to address wetland impacts. The permit also includes new conditions designed to mitigate impacts to cultural resources in the area.
The project requires several other permits, including from the Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Public Service Commission, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
