EGLE’s Line 5 project review excludes impacts of actual tunneling process

LANSING — With a week of public comment remaining , Michigan environmental groups say they’re worried that the state isn’t evaluating the full impact of the Line 5 tunnel proposal.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy confirmed Friday that their review does not include the impacts of tunneling through the Straits of Mackinac, concerning groups who say more work needs to be done.

EGLE says they’re reviewing the impact on wetlands at either end of the tunnel and the effect on the Great Lakes bottomlands, but won’t be looking into the consequences of the actual tunneling process itself.

EGLE spokesperson Scott Dean says that the department’s authority under the permit reviews “do not include tunneling operations beneath the lakebed.”

Kacey Cook, staff attorney with Trav