State Rep. Beau LaFave, of Iron Mountain, today applauded Enbridge for hiring two companies for construction of the Line 5 tunnel, but said it’s a shame environmental extremists continue creating obstacles for the much-needed development.

“This is no longer theoretical,” LaFave said. “One of these companies is a Michigan based firm, and workers with good-paying union jobs are now put on hold because of Attorney General Dana Nessel, who continues to demand the line be shut down immediately. Her irrational plan is already causing unbearable harm to our U.P. families and businesses.”

Enbridge plans to begin construction of the tunnel in 2021 and complete the new Line 5 in 2024, LaFave said, but pending legal challenges posed by Nessel and other extremists have created a lot of unknowns.

“I am glad to see Enbridge continue fighting to move forward, despite the attorney general overstepping in her role,” LaFave said. “Last time I checked, she’s not a state representative and therefore has no authority to make these kinds of calls.”

LaFave said shutting down Line 5 would do more than eliminate jobs for hard-working Michiganders – it would also create higher energy rates for thousands of Michigan families.

“More than 65 percent of the propane that heats homes and business for Yoopers is delivered through Line 5,” LaFave said. “Shutting it down would be the wrong call for rural Michigan families.

“Shutting down the line is also not in the best interest of our state’s natural resources. Rather than focusing on real solutions for our communities, Nessel would leave the aging pipeline in the Straits during this long legal battle, which is threatening our environment every second it continues to sit there.”

LaFave said it’s time to put aside politics and do the right thing for Michiganders, from downstate all the way to the north.

“Constructing a new tunnel for Line 5 is unquestionably the best option for our state,” LaFave said. “Our water resources are some of our state’s greatest treasures, and they must be protected. The tunnel agreement reached between state leaders and Enbridge a couple years ago is the best plan for doing so. Allowing a brand-new pipeline with additional safety measures, while continuing to deliver crucial resources, is the common-sense answer all of our communities need.

“The $500 million project will also be paid for completely though Enbridge, not from taxpayers. It’s absolutely frustrating that we have the answer right in front of us that addresses the economy and protecting our Great Lakes, yet the attorney general would rather play political games.”