And we’ll show you two ways to help. Together, we can be a voice for change and protect Michigan’s land, air, water, public health, and democracy.
The risk of an oil disaster in the Great Lakes increased after Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration recently approved key state permits for Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 5 tunnel. Fortunately, the Michigan Supreme Court just gave Michigan a new, historic opportunity to protect the Great Lakes.
In a landmark 6-1 decision, the Michigan Supreme Court vacated state approval for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, ruling that the project lacks the state siting approval required under federal law. The Court also made clear that state regulators cannot ignore their obligation to protect the Great Lakes when evaluating projects that put our water resources and environment at risk.
For years, Tribal Nations, environmental organizations, scientists, and hundreds of thousands of Michiganders have warned that Enbridge’s proposed tunnel would perpetuate the risks posed by Line 5 while extending the aging pipeline’s life for decades. The Court has now recognized what we have known all along. But while the tunnel approval has been vacated, Line 5 continues to pump oil through the Straits of Mackinac.
Governor Whitmer has long said that protecting the Great Lakes and shutting down the Line 5 pipeline were top priorities. Her support of the tunnel – which would keep Line 5 pumping oil for decades – was a betrayal of her commitment. Now is the time to follow through on her original promise and prevent this tunnel-to-nowhere. Governor Whitmer must listen to the Michigan Supreme Court, respect Tribal sovereignty, withdraw the state’s support for the tunnel project, and take action to shut down Line 5 once and for all.