The Great Lakes.
Protecting the Great Lakes means safely boring a tunnel far below the Straits of Mackinac. The tunnel will replace a portion of Line 5, the pipeline that crosses the straits along the bottom of the lakebed connecting Michigan’s two peninsulas. The Line 5 pipeline delivers the fuel that keeps homes warm and Michigan’s economy moving.
Placing the pipeline in a concrete tunnel underground provides multiple layers of protection, safeguarding the Straits of Mackinac area of our Great Lakes from the risk of an oil spill.
A 2017 expert study commissioned by the state of Michigan examined the possibility of oil leaking into the Great Lakes from the proposed tunnel and found the risk “un-quantifiably low.”
Protecting our Great Lakes ecosystem couldn’t be more important! All work to build a new tunneled pipeline will take place deep underground and will not disturb the lakebed, fish, or wildlife within the Great Lakes.
Michigan Jobs.
Developing the Great Lakes Tunnel will create hundreds of skilled trades jobs and protect thousands more in industries across Michigan.
Business and labor, Democrats and Republicans—Michigan Building Trades, Operating Engineers, and Laborers International Union and the Michigan Manufacturers Association, Michigan Chamber of Commerce and more—all support the Great Lakes Tunnel project.
Building the tunnel to protect our lakes protects the vital tourism industry in Michigan. The Great Lakes are the life-blood of communities across our state, attracting visitors and tourism dollars..
Your Paycheck.
Building the tunnel ensures Michigan workers and families can access and afford the fuel they need to heat their homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, and keep Michigan’s economy moving.
Michigan depends on the petroleum moving through Line 5. Without the Great Lakes Tunnel, state residents could face cripplingly higher costs, and disastrous supply shortages.
The risk is particularly high for Michigan manufacturers and the workers who make them run. Without the tunnel, production and delivery costs could skyrocket.
The Great Lakes Tunnel is 100 percent privately funded, meaning no calls from Lansing for new or higher taxes to pay for the tunnel.