(WWJ) - A controversial plan by Enbridge Energy to build a tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac for the Line 5 oil pipeline is a step closer to reality.
The Enbridge Energy tunnel project will build a single 30-inch pipeline in a concrete-lined tunnel. The tunnel will sit more than 60 feet under the lakebed and replace the two pipelines currently on the bottom of the lake.
The Public Service Commission gave the project the green light today. The Commission said it found that the tunnel was the best option to improve safety while ensuring the “public need” for fossil fuels was still being met.
The project is not without its criticism. Tribal leader Andrea Pierce is concerned about the future generations, and how decisions like this can affect the way they see the government.
“I am completely disgusted by your votes, totally and completely,” Pierce said. “I am disgusted because children have to sit here and feel hopeless. Do you know what it’s like to be their ages? To feel hopeless in our government? Seriously, you are supposed to protect the Great Lakes, protect us.”
Lawsuits have been filed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel to shut down the tunnel. Both say it poses a threat to the state’s economy and environment. The suit from Nessel is still pending before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, officials said.
The application for the project was filed by Enbridge more than three years ago.
Before the project can move forward, it still needs approval from the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before construction can begin. The project will also need permits and to meet other safety and construction conditions, officials said.