ST. IGNACE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Enbridge Energy Line 5 tunnel project has hit a snag after the US Army Corp of Engineers extended the company’s permitting timeline and pushed the date to begin construction to 2026.

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The project would encase Line 5 in a tunnel to prevent environmental disasters in the Straits of Mackinac. The line carries propane to much of the U.P. and parts of lower Michigan. The $500 million price tag is being paid for by the company.

Ryan Duffy with the Enbridge Energy communications team told “The Steve Gruber Show” this week that this move is “surprising” since that process  normally takes a couple of years. Enbridge submitted its permit application to the state in April 2020 and received the go-ahead the following year. That means the US Army Corps of Engineers is taking six years to make its decision.

“We support a thorough, careful permitting process,” Duffy said. “But we are disappointed with this extended timeline with a project of this scope because it has very little environmental impact.”

The tunnel project is four miles in length  and construction underwater is expected to only impact one-quarter acre of wetlands in the area, according to Duffy.

He said what the Army Corps is doing is in contrast to the Biden administration’s push for green energy infrastructure.

John Podesta, senior adviser to President Joe Biden for clean energy innovation and implementation, told reporters at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston last month, “We can move faster by setting tighter deadlines for agencies to complete environmental reviews. We can move smarter by making it easier to approve projects with low environmental impact.”

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The Enbridge Energy Line 5 tunnel project has also faced hurdles and legal battles from environmental groups and the Whitmer administration.

Duffy said the company is still moving ahead. “We remain committed to this project,” he said.