Above photo: Native Americans and allies gathered at the “Pipe Out Paddle Up Flotilla” at the Straits of Mackinac to call for the shutdown of Line 5. Levi Rickert for Native News Online.
Canadian oil corporation Enbridge is proposing a massive, six-year construction project to build a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac—a location of immense ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance. The plan includes installing towering 400-foot cranes, flooding the area with round-the-clock artificial lighting, and disrupting one of the most pristine freshwater environments in North America.
The consequences would be severe. Critical fish habitats would be destroyed, access to fishing—both commercial and subsistence—would be limited, and the construction site would cast light pollution across a designated dark sky park. The towering machinery would be visible from iconic landmarks like Mackinac Island. After years of noise, disruption, and environmental degradation, the community would be left with a tunnel that introduces long-term risks of oil spills, explosions, and groundwater contamination—threatening the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water, recreation, and economic support for millions.
Every tribal nation in Michigan opposes the Line 5 tunnel. The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC), for whom the Straits—known as Michilimackinac, or the Place of the Great Turtle—are sacred, has been a leading voice against the project. In a powerful stand for environmental justice and tribal sovereignty, BMIC and five other Tribal Nations recently withdrew from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental review process, citing its failure to fully consider the cultural, environmental, and human impacts of the project.
Enbridge cannot proceed without state permits—and right now, Michigan residents have a critical opportunity to speak out.
The Native American Rights Fund is asking for interested parties to send public comments.
Until August 29, 2025, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is accepting public comments on the proposed Line 5 tunnel.
Submit your comment and make your voice heard.
Mail your comments to:
EGLE, GDO-WRD, P.O. Box 30458, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7958Email your comments to:
EGLE-Enbridge-Public-Comments@Michigan.govPublish your comments (photos and documents can be attached) at: https://mienviro.michigan.gov/ncore/external/publicnotice/info/7491647377809955234/comments
