LANSING — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put forward a new potential option for the replacement of the Line 5 oil pipeline.
The Corps released a new report examining the possibility of horizontal directional drilling, which would involve boring a new tunnel under the lakebed and inserting a new pipeline already assembled.
The approach would be less intensive than the proposed construction of a concrete tunnel — but the pipeline would have to be assembled above ground over a four-mile stretch.
The proposal was detailed in a supplemental environmental impact statement about six months after the release of the original report.
The agency did not publicize the update when it was released earlier this month, and public comment for the proposal closes on Dec. 5.
The Army Corps estimates its final report will come in early 2026 and public comment will conclude in the spring.