LANSING — Michigan environmental advocates are encouraging the public to weigh in on the Line 5 tunnel project, parts of which are now under review by the state.
The permits sought from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy are some of the few remaining sign-offs needed before a final decision is reached.
The public comment period will run through Aug. 29.
EGLE will hold two virtual meetings about the requests — a Q-and-A on Aug. 12 and a formal hearing on Aug. 19.
“If you have not yet spoken up for the future of the Great Lakes, now is really the time,” said Ashley Rudzinski, climate and environment program director for the Groundwork Center. “This is probably the most critical moment that we have left to make Michiganders’ voices heard.”
She says that the project and its construction would harm the surrounding environment.
“It’s going to destroy wetlands, it’s going to drive away fish and wildlife populations,” she said. “It’s going to cut off vital income from tourism and recreation and commercial fishing industries. This is not a good project for Michigan”
The permits being sought by Enbridge only concern specific aspects of the proposed tunnel project — surface construction on an acre of wetlands and the discharge of drilling fluid into the Great Lakes.
Rudzinski says that the state should opt for a broader review.
“We are hoping to see a more robust look done by the state, but but to date, that has not been done by the Army Corps of Engineers, that was not done by the Michigan Public Service Commission,” she said. “EGLE is sort of our last best hope to have some of these aspects of this project scrutinized in a meaningful way.”
Nichole Biber, an organizer for Clean Water Action, says that the expedited review from the Army Corps, sped up under an order from President Trump, doesn’t give her confidence in the safety of the project.
“For those who may have only heard that the tunnel is the best way to protect the Great Lakes — the best way to protect the Great Lakes is to shut down this pipeline that Michigan does not need,” she said.
Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said in a statement that the company “recognizes the importance of environmental protection to the resources and communities near the project area, and to all Michiganders… Our team has made steady progress in refining our project planning by regularly collecting site-specific environmental information which is incorporated into our updated application.”
More resources can be found with EGLE, including links to the meetings and information about sending in comments online.