Bay Mills Indian Community vows to sue over Straits of Mackinac project
Michigan state agencies on Wednesday issued key permits for the Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species.
The permits, issued by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, also make way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project. Supporters and opponents of the project alike expect that federal approval to come soon.
The project’s future remains unclear, however, as other permits remain tied up in state and federal court, and one Great Lakes tribe promised a new lawsuit over Wednesday’s decision.
“Even in death we cannot know peace,” said Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, which has vowed to sue. “We must still be removed and dug up, and get out of the way for this country, for this state, for these corporations.”
Enbridge Energy spokesperson Ryan Duffy hailed the approvals as a milestone for a project that will bring worthwhile safety improvements to the Straits while continuing to ensure “the uninterrupted flow of energy that supports Michigan and the region.”
The legal landscape surrounding the Line 5 pipeline has been active. MSI previously reported that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in April that Michigan can keep its lawsuit against Enbridge in state court, a decision that kept alive the state’s legal fight over whether the company has the right to operate under the Great Lakes waterway.