3/17/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN- A long-running fight over the Line 5 pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac is now before the Michigan Supreme Court. Justices heard arguments over whether state regulators properly approved a plan to house the pipeline in a protective tunnel beneath the lakebed. Environmental groups argue the decision failed to properly apply the state’s public trust doctrine, which requires protection of waters held for public use. Riyaz Kanji, an attorney representing Flow Water Advocates, told the justices the record includes evidence the tunnel could harm critical fisheries in the Straits.

               0:09  "The construction of this tunnel could wipe out whitefish and lake trout spawning grounds in the Straits of Mackinac forever – permanently."

Enbridge, which operates Line 5, counters the tunnel would improve safety by enclosing the pipeline and reducing the risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes. The Michigan Supreme Court has not indicated when it will issue a ruling.