SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians announced that it has joined with its fellow tribal governments to withdraw from the federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel project.
The tribe said its decision comes after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) indicated that it intends to expedite the project's approval under President Trump’s Executive Order declaring a national energy emergency.
In a news release, the tribe said it had been an active participant as a cooperating agency in the EIS process, providing extensive feedback and emphasizing the project's threats to the Straits of Mackinac — "a region of profound cultural, environmental and economic significance to the Anishinaabeg people and Michiganders throughout the region".
"The decision to rush through the Line 5 approval process undermines our sovereignty and disregards the environmental and cultural risks associated with the tunnel project,” Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said.
Lowes said the USACE's recent actions have "marginalized the tribe's input and compromised the integrity of the consultation process".
The tribe said it’s also unclear how the Line 5 tunnel project, which the tribe says provides oil and natural gas "almost exclusively to Canada" fits with the intent of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order to ease energy costs on American citizens.
“Our tribe had participated in the Line 5 environmental impact statement process in good faith and worked through the appropriate channels to meticulously document the danger this pipeline poses to our way of life," Lowes said.
"We thought we would be given a fair opportunity to demonstrate the importance of protecting our ancestral lands and waters for future generations and the catastrophic impact that a pipeline rupture could pose to the entire state. Clearly, that will not be the case, and participating in the process any further would only give the project a false sense of legitimacy to what is clearly becoming a flawed and disingenuous process.”
The Sault Tribe said it remains dedicated to working with its fellow tribal nations to safeguard treaty rights and the natural resources within the ceded territories.
It said it will continue to explore all avenues to ensure that any projects impacting its lands and waters undergo thorough and transparent evaluation while "respecting both environmental standards and Indigenous sovereignty".
Line 5 is a 1,000-km petroleum pipeline owned and operated by Enbridge, running from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ont., carrying light crude oil, synthetic crude, and natural gas liquids, with a 30-inch diameter, except at the Straits of Mackinac where it splits into two 20-inch diameter pipes.
While the pipeline does supply Canada, according to Enbridge, Line 5 also supplies 65 per cent of propane demand in the Upper Peninsula, and 55 per cent of Michigan's statewide propane needs.
"Overall, Line 5 transports up to 540,000 barrels per day (bpd) of light crude oil, light synthetic crude, and natural gas liquids (NGLs), which are refined into propane," the company says at enbridge.com.
The company says it has operated without incident at the Straits of Mackinac for more than 65 years.
Enbridge plans to build a tunnel under the Straits to house the pipeline in response to safety concerns.
"Enbridge is preparing to begin tunnel construction as soon as possible, following receipt of environmental permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," the company says on its website.