Feds issue Line 5 tunnel permit, call it “not contrary to the public interest”

The US Army Corps of Engineers has permitted construction of Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 tunnel project beneath the Straits of Mackinac. In its announcement, the Corps said the decision is “not contrary to the public interest” and would not harm tribal treaty rights, though it acknowledged adverse effects on endangered species and archaeological sites. The federal approval clears a major hurdle for the nearly decade-old proposal. Opponents say construction would still pose long-term risks to habitat and land use.