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Court of Claims decision to OK Enbridge tunnel legislation “scary for the Great Lakes,” says National Wildlife Federation

The Michigan Court of Claims ruled that lame duck legislation passed last year to handcuff the Whitmer administration and cement a deal between former Gov. Rick Snyder and Enbridge is constitutional, after an opinion from Attorney General Dana Nessel declared it unconstitutional.

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Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, issued the following statement in response:

“This ruling is scary for the Great Lakes. The lame-duck tunnel scheme rushed through last year lacked a timeline for decommissioning the existing Line 5, providing a free pass for Enbridge to use the Great Lakes as a shortcut for as long as it wants while it purports to study the tunnel. Whether the Court of Appeals eventually reverses this decision or not, without a timeline for shutting down the existing Line 5 any tunnel discussion is as illusory as a Halloween ghost.”

Shriberg served on Gov. Snyder’s Pipeline Safety Advisory Board, which opposed the Snyder/Enbridge deal last year.

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