State agencies on Wednesday issued key permits for the controversial 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 departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also make way for the US Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project, which supporters and foes alike expect to happen 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, meanwhile, 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.”
EGLE said in a news release that, after 16 months of review, officials concluded “the public and private need for the proposed activity outweighed other public interest criteria.”
