4/18/2025

UPPER MICHIGAN - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expedite its permitting process for Enbridge Inc.'s Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac after determining the oil pipeline project meets the parameters of an emergency energy declaration issued by President Donald Trump.  The expedited consideration, announced in a public notice Tuesday, is expected to lead to a "truncated" timeline for the review process, according to Army Corps officials. However, it's unclear how much earlier the federal environmental impact statement will be finalized under the emergency designation. A final decision was initially expected to be completed in early 2026.  Army Corps officials noted that a draft environmental impact statement related to the Line 5 tunnel is still expected this spring, potentially as soon as June.  An ultimate decision cannot be issued for at least 30 days after publishing the final environmental impact statement. Most of the data needed to make the final decision had already been collected before the emergency designation.  Enbridge, in a statement, noted the company has been seeking approval for its tunnel project for nearly five years for a project meant "to make a safe pipeline safer while also ensuring the continued safe, secure, and affordable delivery of essential energy to the Great Lakes region."  The Sierra Club Michigan Chapter criticized the decision as a win for "Big Oil" and called on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to "step in."