A tribal coalition is celebrating its Michigan Supreme Court victory against an oil and gas pipeline tunnel project that would run through the Straits of Mackinac.
The Michigan Public Service Commission okayed the project to build a tunnel around the Line 5 pipeline after considering its possible environmental impact to the surrounding area.
But the Michigan Supreme Court’s liberal majority found state environmental law requires a broader look at what impact continued operation of the entire pipeline would have.
Whitney Gravelle is president of the Bay Mills Indian Community.
“The real question before us is what extending the life of Line 5 means for the Great Lakes. For treaty-protected fishing, for our homelands, and for every community that depends on clean water. And the court agreed. The court agreed that the public service commission cannot ignore those questions.”
The issue now returns to the Public Service Commission for a new review.
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