Michigan
Climate group plans legal pushback on permit for Line 5 tunnel project • Michigan Advance
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
At issue is the commission’s permit for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
The Canadian company Enbridge wants to relocate the existing dual pipelines running some four miles along the lakebed in the Straits of Mackinac into a proposed tunnel that would be built in the bedrock underneath the straits.
In December, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved the project. Since then, it has faced appeals from tribes and environmental groups. Now, the climate action network will join that legal opposition.
Opponents of the tunnel worry about Line 5 continuing to operate at all, risking a spill and billions of dollars of damage to the environment.
“The most viable and sensible course of action is to shut down Line 5, and focus on cleaner, better energy alternatives,” said Denise Keele, the network’s executive director, speaking as part of a panel held on Wednesday in Traverse City.
The event was called “Tunnel Vision: A Masterclass in Rejecting the Line 5 Oil Tunnel.” It was organized by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Sierra Club, Progress Michigan, and Oil & Water Don’t Mix.
Keele didn’t say what exactly the appeal would argue, although she told the Traverse City Record-Eagle that it would use the state’s environmental protection law, including protections against methane emissions.
When the public service commission announced the permit, chair Dan Scripps said the tunnel would be the best way to reduce the risk of a “catastrophic” oil spill in the straits. Opponents of the project hold that the best way to address that risk is to shut down the pipeline. Enbridge maintains that the pipeline is necessary to transport oil and natural gas liquids.
The public service commission’s permit for Enbridge’s pipeline relocation plan was the first time a state agency considered greenhouse gas emissions in an analysis under Michigan’s environmental policy act.
The climate action network and the Environmental Law & Policy Center pushed for the commission to do so, winning an appeal in 2021.
“We decided to have our own day in court, and to challenge Enbridge, challenge the Michigan Public Service Commission and, frankly, challenge the law itself to recognize what we already know — that we are living in this climate crisis,” Keele said.
Previously, experts told the Michigan Public Service Commission that continuing to operate Line 5 in a tunnel would release tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, compared to shutting down operations in the straits altogether.
But the commission said in its decision that proposed alternatives to the tunnel project, like transporting fuel by rail and truck, could be more harmful to the environment and that “there are no feasible and prudent alternatives to the Replacement Project pursuant to MEPA.”
MEPA is the Michigan Environmental Protection Act.
In an emailed statement to IPR, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said “we are building the Great Lakes Tunnel as a sustainable way to ensure energy is delivered reliably and safely, while protecting the waters of Lake Michigan and Huron for Michiganders now, and generations to come.”
As for the legal challenges, Duffy said Enbridge officials believe the Michigan Court of Appeals will ultimately uphold the public service commission’s decision to green light the project.
Beyond the state Court of Appeals, the project still needs a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A decision is expected in 2026.
Editor’s note: Enbridge is among Interlochen Public Radio’s financial supporters. They have no role in decisions about our news coverage, which are made independently by the IPR newsroom.
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – East Lansing high school running back Jace Clarizio has committed to playing for Jonathan Smith and MSU football in 2025. Clarizio just wrapped up his junior season with the Trojans and is ranked a three-star on recruiting websites.
Clarizio played in seven games last season, rushing for 1335 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 172 yards per game.
Clarizio became the third high school player to commit to Michigan State football in the last three days.
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Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith is on a roll. The Spartans secured their fifth commit from the 2025 class in East Lansing running back Jace Clarizio.
Clarizio is a three-star recruit, per 247Sports. The hometown prospect is the No. 10 player in the state and the No. 64 running back in the country. Clarizio has an 87 grade from 247Sports.
The site characterizes the grade as “usually has one key trait that signals long-term potential. The floor might be going to be lower than some of the prospects ranked ahead of them, but they have a higher ceiling than the prospects below them.”
Clarizio told 247Sports’ Corey Robinson that he thought he would fit well in offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren’s offense. He also said he liked the coaching staff.
“[Michigan State is] really smart, offensive-minded, I think, and defense, too,” Clarizio told 247Sports. “I feel like they’re just good coaches. They’re smart and they’re gonna put their players in the best position to get the job done … [The Spartans’] system, I feel like it would fit me really well. They like getting the running back the ball out of the backfield, and I think that fits me. Just their style.”
Clarizio was scheduled to visit Michigan State on June 14.
National recruiting analyst Allen Trieu evaluated Clarizio:
“One cut and go type of runner who shows enough burst and acceleration to get into open field. Shows vision and ability to find running lanes. Looks to have enough top end to run away from defenders on the high school level although there is currently not a reliable verified time on him. Can string plays to the outside and get the corner but can also run between the tackles. Has subtle wiggle and is a twitchy athlete. Above average size … All-around back with no real glaring deficiencies and should be a starter at the high-major level.”
Clarizio is the fifth 2025 commit for Michigan State. He is the third in three days, behind three-star linebacker Di’Mari Malone on Mother’s Day and three-star tight end Emmett Bork on Monday.
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Michigan State basketball fans rejoice: Tom Izzo has landed a big man in the transfer portal.
Longwood center Szymon Zapala announced his commitment to Michigan State Tuesday afternoon. Zapala, originally from Poland, played one season at Longwood after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Utah State. He has played four college seasons so far, but appeared in just 13 games as a freshman.
The addition of Zapala adds height to Michigan State’s big men options. The Polish center is listed at 7 feet and 240 pounds, adding size to a frontcourt that includes Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Xavier Booker and incoming freshman Jesse McCulloch.
As a senior at Longwood, Zapala averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and just under a block per game in 35 appearances averaging 16.8 minutes per game. He primarily played inside the arc on offense and shot 62.9% from the field while attempting just three 3s, making two. Zapala was a part of a Longwood team that won the Big South conference tournament to reach the NCAA tournament as a 16-seed before losing to Houston.
Zapala played sparingly for Utah State during his first three seasons, making 45 appearances for the Aggies. He averaged 1.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.6 minutes per game for Utah State.
He enrolled in Utah State as a three-star recruit out of Poland fresh off playing for the national team in the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championships, where he helped Poland finish second while averaging 7.5 points per game. He also played for Trefl Sopot, a Polish professional team, in the U20 Polish Cup and helped lead the team to the championship.
Zapala is Michigan State’s second addition through the transfer portal this offseason. In April, MSU picked up a commitment from wing Frankie Fidler, who averaged 20.1 points per game at Omaha. Michigan State had two players, Mady Sissoko and A.J. Hoggard, enter the transfer portal. Sissoko committed to Cal, while Hoggard is going through workouts for the NBA draft.
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