Michigan Supreme Court rejects permit for Enbridge oil pipeline under Great Lakes
The 6-1 ruling requires regulators to redo the environmental review after finding gaps in the permit analysis and alternatives assessment.
- On Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court vacated a key permit for the proposed Enbridge Energy Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, ordering the Michigan Public Service Commission to redo its environmental review.
- The 6-1 ruling found the MPSC failed to consistently examine alternatives to the project or adequately consider how continued pipeline operation impacts public trust resources, such as the Great Lakes.
- Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote that regulators erred by not determining if the tunnel would extend the lifespan of the 73-year-old pipeline, creating further environmental harms.
- Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy expressed disappointment over the project's long review, while Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle praised the decision as a victory for treaty rights and water protection.
- The existing pipeline will continue transporting about 540,000 barrels of oil daily across the Straits while the commission conducts its new review, likely delaying tunnel construction for years.
69 Articles
69 Articles
A controversial plan to update Line 5 just suffered a major loss at the Michigan Supreme Court
In a win for opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline, the Michigan Supreme Court vacated a key permit last week for a proposed project that would replace a segment of the pipeline running underneath an environmentally-sensitive area of the Great Lakes, finding that a state commission did not examine the full scope of possible harm to the environment. Following the 6-1 decision, the justices remanded the permit back to the Michigan Public …
Bradley says latest Line 5 ruling 'hurts local investment'
Sarnia's mayor says a recent court ruling is yet another setback for Enbridge’s Line 5, warning that ongoing legal battles surrounding the aging pipeline continue to cast a shadow over local economic investment.In a 6-1 decision on Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court ordered state regulators to reconsider a permit that allowed a planned tunnel to carry the 73-year-old pipeline under part of the Great Lakes to move ahead.The court found the Michig…
Line 5 permit review advocates' new push post-court decision
MICHIGAN—Following the Michigan Supreme Court’s Friday ruling striking down state energy regulators’ decision to permit the Line 5 tunnel project, pipeline opponents convened to celebrate the decision and talk about the next steps. The controversial pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario, with a 4.5-mile segment of dual pipelines running through the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. Bay Mills Indi…
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