8/13/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a permit for the controversial Line 5 tunnel project beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The project would move a section of the petroleum pipeline from the open water into a concrete tunnel beneath the lakebed. The Corps says the project is not contrary to the public interest and would not harm tribal treaty rights. The approval clears a major hurdle, but construction is not imminent. State and federal legal challenges remain, and opponents are promising new lawsuits. Meanwhile, environmental groups and Michigan Tribal communities argue the tunnel – which would run beneath the Straits of Mackinac – threatens the Great Lakes, Tribal cultural resources and the climate. The federal approval comes less than two weeks after a major ruling from the Michigan Supreme Court. David Holtz, coalition coordinator for the Oil and Water Don’t Mix Coalition, says that ruling may change what happens next.

               0:14  "The Michigan Supreme Court fundamentally changed the legal landscape for the, tunnel project. They threw out the Public Service Commission's approval because the state failed to consider the environmental consequences of the tunnel."

After throwing out the commission's approval of the Line 5 tunnel project, the court ordered the agency to take a closer look at the effects that the project would have on the environment. Meantime, Enbridge calls the federal permit a significant step forward and says it follows more than six years of rigorous review.