US Army engineers decide to fast-track Great Lakes tunnel permits under Trump energy emergency order

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 5:20 PM EDT, April 16, 2025


The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to fast-track permits for building a protective tunnel around an aging Enbridge oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, stoking environmentalists’ fears that the project will escape scrutiny, damage the sensitive region and perpetuate fossil fuel use.

The move comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January declaring that the U.S. has become too dependent on foreign energy sources. The order mandates that federal agencies identify energy infrastructure projects for expedited emergency permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The corps designated the tunnel project on Line 5 as an emergency under the order late Tuesday. The corps had initially planned to make a permitting decision early next year. Corps officials were vague during a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning about how quickly the process may move forward.

The Detroit District’s regulatory chief, Shane McCoy, said that the timeline will be “truncated” but didn’t elaborate beyond saying no steps would be skipped and the process will result in “a very legally defensible, very well-informed decision.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/enbridge-line-5-tunnel-great-lakes-expedited-381e7488c07e38f4965f40ea66fc4043

[rampartd]

1. who owns this pipeline?

if it is in emergency danger of failure would not rule #1 of damage control suggest "turn on/off valve to off position." ?????

[taxi]

2. Agreed.

Their efforts will lead to an even larger spill area, a flooded tunnel of oil. Where do these idiots come from?

[2naSalit]

3. Gee...

Is this also meant to give leonskum another federal contract for his boring company?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Trump approves this because we have become too dependent on foreign oil?

This is a tunnel and pipeline to move oil for Enbridge, a Canadian oil company. At this time, "Canadian" still means "foreign". The pipe moves foreign oil, Donny.

I have mixed feelings on this project. It seems like a tunnel with an oil pipeline running through it might be safer than the current unprotected old oil pipeline.

[travelingthrulife]

5. It's nice of us to provide a tunnel for Canadian oil to be sold elsewhere.

This bs 'emergency' will put how much welfare money in Elon's pocket?

[travelingthrulife]

6. Major drinking water source, but what the hell.

[orangecrush]

7. What could possibly go wrong?

[Crepuscular]

8. ...

Just for clarification, this proposed tunnel is planned to run underneath the Straits of Mackinac, through bedrock. It's designed to replace the current pipeline, which is 50+years old and which sits on the bottom of the lake. There have been several instances where the anchors of ships have dragged against the pipeline and have damaged it. If the current pipeline spills, the oil goes directly into Lake Michigan/Huron. If the proposed tunnel pipeline leaks, it would conceivably be contained within the tunnel structure and would not contaminate the Great Lakes. While many would say that the current pipeline should be eliminated and not replaced, the alternative to that is an increase in the amount of oil transported by train and tractor-trailers, both of which have the potential to spill oil in the case of an accident and contaminate surface waters. No easy answer but the tunnel seems to be the least likely to cause an environmental disaster.

[not fooled]

9. Let me guess...the Boring Company will get the contract.

Guess who owns that co.? Yep, eloon. Although there are undoubtedly other "connected" private companies ready to step in.

Expect to see more expedited subsurface pipeline projects get approved, for eloon the welfare queen to loot the government.

[JoseBalow]

10. Am I to believe that drumpf is concerned about the environment?