Trump Admin FAST-TRACKS Controversial Project!

The Great Lakes tunnel project permit process has been fast-tracked under a Trump energy order, pitting infrastructure security against environmental concerns.

At a Glance

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expediting permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline tunnel beneath the Great Lakes
• The $500 million tunnel project aims to protect a critical pipeline section that’s been operating since 1953
• The fast-tracking follows President Trump’s January executive order to accelerate energy infrastructure projects
• Environmental groups and Native American tribes strongly oppose the project, citing spill risks
• Multiple lawsuits challenge the pipeline’s continued operation in the environmentally sensitive straits

Fast-Tracked Permits for Critical Energy Infrastructure

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has designated the Great Lakes tunnel project an emergency, accelerating the permitting process for a protective tunnel around Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline. This decision follows a January executive order from President Trump aimed at expediting energy infrastructure projects across the country. The pipeline runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lakes Michigan and Huron, and has been a focal point of environmental concern for years.

Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy defended the pipeline as “critical energy infrastructure” that delivers essential energy to the region. The Canadian company plans to replace and encase the pipeline section beneath the straits in a new tunnel at an estimated cost of $500 million. The existing pipeline, operational since 1953, transports approximately 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario.

Environmental and Tribal Opposition

Environmental groups including the Sierra Club and Earthjustice have criticized the fast-tracking decision, citing significant risks to the Great Lakes ecosystem. Concerns about potential spills in the Straits of Mackinac intensified in 2017 when gaps in the pipeline’s protective coating were discovered. An anchor strike in 2018 further damaged the pipeline, though it didn’t cause a rupture. These incidents have fueled calls from environmentalists to decommission the pipeline entirely.

Seven Native American tribes have ceased discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers, stating that the agency has inadequately considered spill risks and climate change impacts. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is engaged in a separate legal dispute with Enbridge in Wisconsin over the pipeline’s route through their reservation. While Enbridge has proposed a reroute around the reservation, the tribe continues to challenge the plan in court.

Legal Challenges and Future Outlook

A complex legal landscape surrounds the Line 5 pipeline and the proposed tunnel project. While a Michigan appellate court recently upheld state permits for the tunnel construction, other lawsuits seeking to remove the pipeline from the straits entirely are still pending. Environmentalists, tribal nations, and Democratic politicians have filed multiple legal challenges, arguing that the risks to the Great Lakes outweigh the pipeline’s economic benefits.

Enbridge maintains that the tunnel project will significantly enhance safety by creating an additional protective barrier around the pipeline. They argue that Line 5 is essential for providing affordable energy to Michigan and surrounding regions. Critics counter that the expedited permitting process may bypass necessary environmental impact assessments and tribal consultations. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between energy security goals and environmental protection in American infrastructure planning.