Traverse City, MI – Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities condemns today’s decision by the Whitmer Administration’s Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to approve the Wetlands Protection and Great Lakes Submerged Lands permits, under part 404 of the Clean Water Act, for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
In granting the permit, EGLE has chosen to advance controversial fossil fuel infrastructure despite extensive public concern, unresolved environmental risks, and the accelerating climate crisis. Groundwork Center believes that this decision is highly incompatible with the agency’s duty to protect Michigan’s water resources and defend the public trust.
“Approving new 99-year fossil fuel infrastructure as people across Michigan choke on climate change-induced wildfire smoke just adds insult to injury,” said Ashley Rudzinski, Climate and Environment Program Director of Groundwork Center. “As the climate crisis drives extreme weather, shoreline erosion, and strained infrastructure, doubling down on long-term fossil fuel investments represents a dangerous step backward.”
“The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system on the planet, and they deserve the highest level of protection – not regulatory rubber stamping,” said Rudzinski. “By approving this permit, Governor Whitmer and EGLE have placed the interests of a private foreign oil company above the long-term health of our waters, our climate, and our economies.”
“Beyond environmental and climate risks, the approval raises serious questions about long-term accountability and financial liability in the event of a spill,” noted Rudzinski. “Recent pipeline incidents across North America show that even modern infrastructure can fail with catastrophic consequences. The Great Lakes are not the place for us to make that gamble.”
“Today EGLE has shirked its most fundamental duty – protecting our Great Lakes and our citizens,” Rudzinski said. “These lakes are the defining feature of our state, our culture, and our future. The only responsible path forward is decommissioning the existing aging dual pipelines in the Straits and supporting a rapid transition toward clean, renewable energy sources that do not jeopardize one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water.
Rudzinski closed, “We demand EGLE issue an immediate stay on all Line 5 tunnel permits and ban Enbridge from any staging or clearing until all appeals and treaty obligations are resolved.”
Ashley Rudzinski is Groundwork’s Climate & Environment Program Director.
ashley.rudzinski@groundworkcenter.org
