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.
Michigan schools, libraries and nonprofit groups are set to receive more than $280,000 in literacy funding, according to a community announcement issued by Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The money is intended to support reading and education programs across the state.
The grants are part of a nationwide single-day award total of nearly $16 million. The funding supports adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states where Dollar General operates.
In Michigan, the grants are expected to affect more than 9,600 people, according to the announcement.
The grants are for nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. According to the announcement, eligible groups must be within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center.
The money may be used for new technology, books, materials or software. The grants can help groups start literacy programs or expand existing ones.
Several Michigan organizations received grants of $10,000, the highest amount. Those recipients included:
- Adrian Rea Literacy Center in Adrian
- Arab Community Center For Economic And Social Services (Access) in Dearborn
- Literacy Center Of West Michigan in Grand Rapids
- Houghton Lake Community Education in Houghton Lake
- Livingston County Literacy Coalition in Howell
- Goodwill Industries Of Southwestern Michigan in Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council in Kalamazoo
- Capital Area Literacy Coalition / The Reading People in Lansing
- The Global Institute Of Lansing
- Van Buren Intermediate School District in Lawrence
- Reading Patch Literacy Foundation Inc. in Niles
- Grace Centers Of Hope in Pontiac
- Oakland Literacy Council in Pontiac
- Literacy And Beyond Inc. in Port Huron
- Gigi’S Playhouse — Detroit LLC in Southfield
- Southgate Community Schools in Southgate
Other larger grants included $9,999 for Wayne State University in Detroit, $9,500 for Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency in Tawas City and $8,500 for Plymouth-Canton Community Literacy Council in Plymouth.
The recipient list also included many grants of $3,000. Those went to:
- Allendale Public Schools
- Boys And Girls Club Of Alpena
- Cedar Springs Public Library
- Clinton Community Schools
- Coloma Public Library
- Mason County Eastern Elementary in Custer
- North Dickinson County School in Felch
- Wilson School Parent Advisory Committee in Herron
- Hillman Community Schools
- Ida Public Schools
- Lawton Public Library
- Luther Area Public Library
- Saginaw African Cultural Festival Inc.
- Sebewaing Township Library
- Tekonsha Community Schools
- Columbia Township Library in Unionville
- Wakefield Public Library
- Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Other awards listed were $2,000 for Taymouth Township Library in Burt; $2,100 for Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township; and $2,500 for Friends Of Cadillac Wexfod Public Library in Cadillac, Teamer Dreams Foundation in Eastpointe, Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association in Lansing and Palomino Hope Equine Experience in Tawas City.
The list also showed a $1,000 grant for Townline Elementary in Grand Rapids and a $4,500 grant for D House Of Angels in Pontiac.
Also receiving grants were Houghton Lake Community Education and Reading Patch Literacy Foundation in Niles.
A full list of grant recipients is available at dgliteracy.org.
“Since the foundation’s inception in 1993, our focus has remained on making meaningful investments in students, teachers and the organizations that support literacy and learning at every stage of life,” Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, said in the announcement. “These funds will help educators enhance their instruction and create opportunities that help empower students to reach their full potential.”
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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