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Ties Deserve Closer Attention; Whitmer Admin, Corridor Authority Must Reject Treacherous Trump Oil Tunnel

MICHIGAN - The Oil & Water Don’t Mix Coalition is sounding the alarm about the money trail left by one of the Line 5 tunnel contractors and its financial interest in boosting Donald Trump and his policy agenda, urging Michigan authorities to take action to look into these conflicts of interest.

Last week, news broke that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received a directive from the White House to expedite certain fossil fuel permits, heightening speculation that Line 5 could be included. With the threat of the Trump administration taking decisive action to undo environmental protections and speed up dirty fossil fuel permitting, a fast-track of the Line 5 tunnel brings serious questions and concerns around quid-pro-quo in exchange for the contractors support of Trump given that one of the two contractors that Enbridge selected to construct the Line 5 oil tunnel has close financial ties to Donald Trump.

“The Whitmer administration and her Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) appointees must stand up to Trump and his corporate polluter buddies by rejecting Enbridge and its shady contractors. If they don’t, who knows; we could see the Straits of Mackinac getting renamed the Straits of Enbridge, or even worse, environmental destruction given the company’s track record,” said Sean McBrearty, campaign coordinator for Oil & Water Don't Mix. “The treacherous Trump oil tunnel is closer than ever to getting pushed over the finish line, but there are still opportunities in the courts and in Michigan to make sure Enbridge never breaks ground on this project.”

"If this project moves forward, both Michigan and its ratepayers will be left holding the bag while Enbridge reaps the profits." - Ashley Rudzinski, Climate and Environment Program Director of Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities

While Enbridge is reapplying for a key permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Energy, and Great Lakes (EGLE) needed to build the Line 5 oil tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, the Canadian oil corporation merits closer scrutiny. Enbridge is willing to use contractors with a shady past for their projects, raising questions about the integrity of the Line 5 tunnel project and putting the state of Michigan on the hook for owning this asset. Additionally, ahead of the next Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) meeting in Lansing on Friday, the three Whitmer-appointed members on the panel must consider these facts.

“What will the Whitmer-appointed MSCA members do to ensure that this dangerous project - never before undertaken anywhere in the world - undergoes a full environmental review if the tunnel gets its permitting fast-tracked?” McBrearty continued. “Her administration has the power to stop this dangerous fossil fuel tunnel from becoming a reality. The state of Michigan would end up owning the tunnel and all the risk if it’s constructed, and letting Enbridge carry out this untested, poorly thought-out project is completely unpragmatic.”

Ashley Rudzinski, Climate and Environment Program Director of Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities echoed with economic concerns, stating that, “The state of Michigan should not be held hostage by a foreign oil company clinging to a 72-year-old pipeline, nor should Michigan consumers be forced to bankroll this project’s skyrocketing costs. What began as a $500 million project has ballooned into a $1.5 billion gamble—one that Enbridge has maneuvered regulators into passing onto consumers. If this project moves forward, both Michigan and its ratepayers will be left holding the bag while Enbridge reaps the profits.”

Facts about the contractors associated with the Line 5 oil tunnel project

Barnard Construction Company, Inc. Track Record

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted Barnard more than half a billion dollars to build the Trump border wall, a move that raised eyebrows, given the Daily Beast's reporting that Barnard’s CEO donated to Trump’s campaign in 2016.
• Tim Barnard and his wife donated $500K each to Trump’s campaign during the 2024 cycle, per FEC filings.
• The Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General conducted an audit of Barnard and found it underpaid workers by setting an average pay rate instead of actual salaries.
• Barnard reached a $750k settlement with the Tampa Bay Water Board regarding reservoir cracking, which was caused by design flaws.

CBNA Track Record

• During the Port of Miami tunnel project, CBNA dumped dirt fill into protected wetlands.
• CBNA is the American arm of Bouygues, which was named in the Paradise Papers for being incorporated in Barbados.
• According to their website, CBNA's only experience with tunnel construction is with wastewater and transportation tunneling—not an underwater tunnel for volatile fossil fuels.
• Bouygues has participated in the UN Global Compact since 2006, and CBNA has a stated commitment to sustainability and diversity despite the recorded climate risks of the Line 5 tunnel.
• Bouygues was involved in a bid-rigging scheme for a nuclear project as recently as 2023, prompting French regulators to fine the company for €31 million.

Enbridge’s History of Working With Contractors

• The state of Minnesota charged Enbridge for not reporting breaches of three aquifers during the construction of Line 3.
• A contractor working on the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota tragically died in an accident, and state regulators fined Enbridge for $25K.
• Two workers on Line 3 were arrested in a human trafficking sting.