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Line 5 Tunnel Project Proposal Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership is currently seeking approval to build a utility tunnel and to replace and relocate the portion of the Line 5 pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The proposed tunnel would house the replacement segment for the Line 5 petroleum pipeline that sits on the bottom of the Straits.
Review and permitting decisions for the proposed project involve multiple state agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This webpage is intended to provide an overview of the routine regulatory permitting process that the proposed project will require.
Environmental Assistance Center
EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov
800-662-9278
The MPSC authorizes proposals for energy infrastructure including intrastate and interstate crude oil and petroleum product pipelines by authority of Public Act 16 of 1929 and operates in a quasi-judicial manner with the Commission making final decisions through a formal evidentiary hearing process, otherwise known as a contested case proceeding. The MPSC will consider Enbridge’s request to replace and relocate the portion of the Line 5 pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac into a tunnel beneath the Straits.
The principal laws EGLE considers when evaluating pipeline projects that impact water resources fall under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act of 1994 (NREPA). Enbridge has submitted permit applications for work within wetland areas, water discharges and under the submerged lands portions of NREPA.
The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) within the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for overseeing construction and operation of a tunnel in bedrock beneath the waters of the Straits of Mackinac. The tunnel will house a replacement segment for the Line 5 petroleum pipelines that currently sit on the bottom of the Straits and will accommodate other utilities to improve infrastructure connections between the peninsulas. MSCA will own the tunnel after its construction and provide independent oversight throughout its life.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is conducting an independent review of the proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel project in accordance with federal regulations. The Corps of Engineers will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that considers potential impacts and reasonable alternatives to the project which will inform its permit decision on Enbridge’s application with the Corps. There is no specific timeframe for the Corps' decision.
Public comment on the EGLE permits closed on October 19, 2020.
Line 5 currently crosses the straits from Point LaBarbe in the Upper Peninsula to McGulpin Point in the Lower Peninsula – the shortest distance between the two peninsulas. The proposed tunnel would follow the same route below the existing west pipeline. (Figure 1)
Location chosen by Enbridge adjacent to the existing North Straits Facility as the preferred location for the north side tunnel entrance. (Figure 2A)
Location chosen by Enbridge adjacent to the existing Mackinac Station as the preferred location for the south side tunnel entrance. (Figure 2B)
Depicts the approximate location of the tunnel as shown in the Enbridge application. (Figure 3)
Detailed view of the North shore depicting the existing dual pipelines, proposed replacement segment, proposed workspace, and easement boundaries.
