Army Corps further delays decision on Great Lakes oil tunnel

By JOHN FLESHER
AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials are delaying a decision on whether to approve an oil pipeline tunnel in a Great Lakes waterway. The Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday released a new timeline for consideration of the project in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Enbridge Energy wants to drill the tunnel to house a section of its Line 5 pipeline. The Army Corps had planned an initial environmental report late this year but now says it will be released in spring 2025. That means a decision on tunnel likely won’t come until 2026. If the project is approved, it’s expected to take several years to complete.