The proposed Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac has been shortlisted for “emergency” status after President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency.
The project has been held up by permitting delays and court battles, but Trump’s new declaration would fast-track the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval process.
“Given Mr. Trump’s executive orders that declared an energy emergency and committed to unleashing American energy, we believe the rapid approval of the permits to build the tunnel will help to meet those goals,” according to a post by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy Environmental Policy Director Jason Hayes, referring to a letter he co-authored with Tom Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, that was addressed to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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“At the same time, it will protect the natural environment by relocating the pipeline from the waters of the Great Lakes to a concrete-lined tunnel, 100 feet below the lakebed,” Hayes continued. “Building the Line 5 Tunnel will also protect an essential piece of the Midwest’s energy infrastructure.”
The tunnel project comes up on a Corps online map that lists potential emergency projects. That map also includes electrical transmission and solar energy projects on Drummond Island and in Muskegon County.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has gone to great lengths to try and shut down Line 5 and attempts to tie the replacement tunnel project up in court. In June 2024, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s arguments to hear the state’s case against the Enbridge Line 5 dual pipelines in state rather than federal court.
As reported by The Midwesterner last summer, Enbridge had attempted to move the case to federal court due to exclusive regulation of the pipelines by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Additionally, Enbridge argues that a 1977 international treaty between the U.S. and Canada requires that the case be held in a federal court. Shutting down the pipeline would force Enbridge to find alternatives for transporting an estimated 540,000 barrels of crude petroleum products between the Straits of Mackinac. This would have disastrous results for the thousands of Michigan families and businesses that rely on the heating fuel Line 5 provides.
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Environmentalists, tribal nations, and state officials strongly oppose the 70-year-old pipeline, warning that if Line 5 ruptures, the impacts would be catastrophic.
“The Army Corps of Engineers should act quickly to finalize the Environmental Impact Statement and expedite the federal permits needed to begin construction of the Line 5 Tunnel,” Hayes said. “This project balances environmental protection with protecting energy resources essential to the well-being of Midwest families and businesses. Delays prolong the risks opponents claim to want to avoid. However, the Biden and Whitmer administrations have wasted years dragging their feet or litigating to shut down this essential energy infrastructure. The Trump administration should seize this opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to unleashing American energy and promoting energy dominance. No more inaction! It’s time to get the Line 5 Tunnel built!”
Last month, the Michigan Court of Appeals heard arguments to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 and the potential tunnel due to environmental concerns. Michigan Attorney General Nessel’s lawsuit, backed by Whitmer, seeks to terminate Enbridge’s easement to operate the pipeline within the Straits. Nessel gave oral arguments in January, according to a news release.
Enbridge proposed the Line 5 tunnel project to encase the pipeline in a concrete-lined tunnel under the Straits in response to these concerns. Former Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration helped strike a deal with Enbridge for the tunnel, with both sides agreeing that doing so would eliminate the risks of an oil spill.
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The project must receive permits from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), the Michigan Public Service Commission — which regulates Michigan’s natural gas and electricity industries — and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Corps has spent years studying whether to grant a key permit for the proposed tunnel project. Corps officials previously said they expected to publish a draft environmental impact statement this spring and make a final decision in early 2026.
Line 5 transports Canadian energy products, including crude oil and natural gas liquids, that pass through the Straits on their way from Wisconsin to refineries in Canada. However, some of the pipeline’s products end up in Michigan, providing propane to the Upper Peninsula.
The price tag for the tunnel also continues to climb. Enbridge officials initially estimated a cost of $500 million and planned for the tunnel to be completed by 2024. Construction has yet to begin, and costs are now expected to exceed $1 billion, the cost of which will be shouldered entirely by Enbridge.