LANSING — The US Army Corps of Engineers released a draft environmental impact study of the proposed Line 5 tunnel project Friday, a step toward one of the last federal sign-offs that the project needs.
Line 5, operated by Canada-based Enbridge, is a dual pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. The line was originally built in 1953 and transports more than 500,000 barrels of petroleum products per day.
The construction of a protective tunnel, proposed by Enbridge, is projected to take six years and bring around 200 workers to the area. The construction would also bring with it construction cranes up to 400 feet tall, loud noises and light pollution for the nearby Headlands Dark Sky Park.
”There’s going to be massive disturbance to the region during that period,” said Debbie Chizewer, managing attorney of Earthjustice’s midwest office.
The Army Corps says that the tunnel would not be expected to cause permanent damage to the aquatic environment, but that the construction would require the clearing of 5 forested acres and 4 acres of protected wetlands.
Environmental groups took issue with the report’s exclusion of scenarios involving a drop in demand for fossil fuel products.
“All the options involve transporting fossil fuels across the Great Lakes, and building a tunnel is a false solution because it poses real risks and the and it perpetuates the pumping of oil through the Great Lakes,” said Chizewer, who also represents the Bay Mills Indian Community.
The study’s release kicks off a 30-day public comment period. The Army Corps will accept digital and written messages until the end of June, and will also hold two virtual public meetings on June 18 and June 25.
The process was boosted by an executive order from President Trump that directed agencies to enable permitting by the fullest extent possible.
That 30-day period is down from the 45 or 60 days allowed for most other projects.
”It’s going to get less review, less opportunity to find experts who might be able to weigh in,” said Carrie La Seur, legal director of For Love Of Water. “Enbridge may not like it, but they proposed this project, and it’s an incredibly ambitious project.”
Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy says that the order would only cut a few months off of a five year review process.
Duffy also said in a statement, “Our goal is to have the smallest possible environmental footprint. The tunnel design already reflects that intent, and we will use the USACE’s findings from the [report] to further refine the project.”
The project still needs a final sign-off from the federal government, expected to come in the fall, and approval from some state regulators, including the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
“We have laws in Michigan that provide an additional level of protection and review,” La Seur said. “It’s going to be another opportunity for the public to get involved and weigh in with its concerns.”
