{"id":2444893,"date":"2025-06-09T14:36:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T18:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expedited-approval-continues-for-updates-to-michigan-pipeline-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T14:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T18:40:10","slug":"expedited-approval-continues-for-updates-to-michigan-pipeline-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expedited-approval-continues-for-updates-to-michigan-pipeline-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedited approval continues for updates to Michigan pipeline &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexpedited-approval-continues-for-updates-to-michigan-pipeline-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2444893&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a draft environmental impact statement supporting the expedited approval of the Line 5 tunnel project in Michigan, indicating it woudl likely have a &#8220;beneficial cumulative effect&#8221; by decreasing the risk of oil spills. The project involves relocating a section of the existing 645-mile pipeline owned by Enbridge into a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. While the proposal acknowledges potential short-term environmental disruption during construction, overall benefits include enhanced safety for the Grate Lakes and improved energy supply security for millions in the Midwest. However, the project has faced criticism from opponents who cite environmental and cultural concerns, particularly from tribal governments. State politicians are divided on the issue,with some pushing for expedited approval,highlighting its importance for Michigan&#8217;s energy needs,while others remain skeptical about its implications for environmental protection.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Expedited approval continues for updates to Michigan pipeline<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2143922\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square)&nbsp;&ndash; The U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/army\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Army\">Army<\/a> Corps of Engineers has determined the Line 5 tunnel project would have a &ldquo;beneficial cumulative effect&rdquo; on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Michigan<\/a> and its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">environment<\/a> by reducing the risk of an oil leak.<\/p>\n<p>This is according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >recently-released draft environmental impact statement<\/a>, which examined the pipeline proposal for Line 5. The transmission line owned by Enbridge goes 645 miles from Superior, Wis., through the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3435633\/lawmakers-use-los-angeles-situation-to-call-out-nashville-mayor\/\">Lawmakers use Los Angeles situation to call out Nashville mayor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3435451\/michael-whatley-democrats-could-win-quit-infighting\/\">RNC chairman suggests Democrats could win ground if they quit infighting<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3435519\/claudia-tenney-salt-cap-mike-lawler\/\">Claudia Tenney implies Mike Lawler should surrender SALT fight: &#8216;We have to unite&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>It moves more than 500,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily.<\/p>\n<p>While&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.line5tunneleis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Enbridge-Line-5-Tunnel-Project-Draft-Environmental-Statement_Executive-Summary.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the report<\/a>&nbsp;found there might be some &ldquo;direct, short-term, detrimental impacts&rdquo; during construction on the local environment and recreation, most &ldquo;environmental consequences would be short-term with the effects resolving once construction is completed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This would be a long-sought-after upgrade to the pipeline, which has been operated by the Canadian company for 72 years.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This report by the Army Corps sends another clear message that the Line 5 tunnel project is the safest and most efficient way to supply fuel to Michigan and the broader Midwest,&rdquo; said state Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed changes would move a section of the pipeline into a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, which is the 4-mile wide waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, dividing Michigan&rsquo;s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The pipeline currently lies on the bottom of the Straits.<\/p>\n<p>Policymakers, experts, and advocates have been split on the project, which is currently being expedited as a result of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/national\/article_89d008e4-d795-11ef-a185-3779a83eb532.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">President Donald Trump&rsquo;s Day 1 executive order<\/a>&nbsp;declaring a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fed-interest-rate-cut-could-have-significant-2024-election-impact-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Fed interest rate cut could have ...significant... 2024 election impact - Washington Examiner\">national energy emergency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Under that order, Trump said that to solve high prices and remedy the &ldquo;numerous problems&rdquo; with America&rsquo;s energy infrastructure, the delivery of energy infrastructure must be &ldquo;expedited&rdquo; and the nation&rsquo;s energy supply facilitated &ldquo;to the fullest extent possible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Prior to that order, Democrats had slow-rolled the project for years. In a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/whitmer\/news\/press-releases\/2021\/10\/04\/gov--whitmer-on-efforts-to-protect-the-great-lakes-from-line-5-oil-spill-after-canada-invokes-treat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2021 release<\/a>, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, called for the complete closure of Line 5.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So long as oil is flowing through the pipelines, there is a very real threat of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes,&rdquo; Whitmer said. &ldquo;I will continue to fight to get the pipelines out of the water.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to environmental concerns, opponents of the pipeline also cite concerns from tribal governments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an existential threat to tribes,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.umich.edu\/line-5s-history-legal-standing-and-environmental-impact-u-m-experts-available-to-comment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Matthew Fletcher<\/a>, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. &ldquo;This is a Canadian company that&rsquo;s using America as its dirty transportation hub and we&rsquo;re not getting anything out of it. If we&rsquo;re interested in American energy independence, this does almost nothing to help us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report did acknowledge the project could have &ldquo;an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/144-cities-could-be-downgraded-from-metropolitan-to-micropolitan-status\/\" title=\"144 Cities Could Be Downgraded From \u2018Metropolitan\u2019 To \u2018Micropolitan\u2019 Status\">adverse impact<\/a> to cultural resources.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Advocates for the tunnel say it will help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/freighter-emergency-on-lake-superior-giant-ship-taking-on-water-quickly\/\" title=\"Emergency on Lake Superior: Large freighter rapidly taking on water\">prevent environmental damage<\/a>, while addressing &ldquo;critical energy needs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The completion of the Line 5 Tunnel will not only protect the Great Lakes but also ensure the continued flow of essential energy resources to millions of people across the region,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mackinac.org\/pressroom\/2025\/expedite-the-approval-process-for-line-5-improvements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Tom Pyle<\/a>, president of the Institute for Energy Research. &ldquo;For years, politicians have blocked efforts to relocate the pipeline . . . These delays directly contradict their stated environmental goals, as the proposed tunnel would significantly mitigate the risks that have been asserted about the pipeline.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tom Leonard, former Michigan speaker of the House and a Republican, called on Michigan to expedite the project.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to stop the litigation and stonewalling,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TomLeonard28\/status\/1929873128806666636\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leonard said<\/a>. &ldquo;If we truly care about protecting our Great Lakes and providing the vital energy needs of Michigan&rsquo;s citizens, the Line 5 tunnel is the commonsense solution.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, Michigan House Republicans passed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/Bills\/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HR-0091\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Resolution 91<\/a>&nbsp;in support of Trump&rsquo;s policies to increase the nation&rsquo;s energy infrastructure and security, &ldquo;which have facilitated emergency permitting for the Enbridge Line 5 project.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The findings in the final report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have a direct impact on the permitting for the tunnel, which requires a Water Resource Permit.<\/p>\n<p>The pipeline currently supplies 55% of the propane used by more than 223,000 Michigan households, while contributing more than $20 billion to the regional economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2143922\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2143922\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expedited approval for Michigan pipeline updates continues as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finds the Line 5 tunnel project would positively impact Michigan by lowering oil leak risks, per a new draft environmental impact statement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2444894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/michigan-state-legislature-votes-jan-2025.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[56812,49165,56813,32076],"class_list":["post-2444893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-expedited-approval","tag-infrastructure-updates","tag-michigan-pipeline","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/michigan-state-legislature-votes-jan-2025.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2444893"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2444897,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444893\/revisions\/2444897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2444894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2444893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2444893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2444893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}