Line 5 Tunnel Permit Jeopardizes Safety of the Great Lakes

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Today, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) approved the permit application for Enbridge, a multibillion-dollar Canadian oil giant, to run the Line 5 oil tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac. This decision ignores the years-long opposition to the proposed tunnel project from Michiganders and people across the Great Lakes region, who have cited concerns about water safety, local economies and tourism, and the health of the region for generations to come.

In response, Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Executive Committee member, released the following statement:

“Today’s decision puts the heart of Michigan at risk. This tunnel puts our Great Lakes, clean drinking water, and ecosystems in jeopardy of a catastrophic oil spill. Instead of prioritizing the safety and well-being of Michiganders, the Whitmer Administration has sided with a billion-dollar foreign oil company, while Michigan taxpayers will assume all the risks for decades to come. For years Michiganders have implored our state regulators to block this from happening. We’re not going to stop fighting until Line 5 is decommissioned.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.

Featured image by Hao Chen