LANSING, Mich. — Upper Peninsula lawmakers derided a recent letter from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to Enbridge that formally requested over half-a-century’s worth of information as part of its unceasing investigation of Line 5.

The following statement was released on Tuesday from Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, and state Reps. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain; and Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock:

“We find it rich that, in the latest round of delaying the tunnel, the DNR Director sent a letter to Enbridge requesting a litany of information about Line 5 that the department and administration already have. This request is a clear attempt to tie the company up in more bureaucratic minutia in order to further delay the closing of the administration’s investigation and getting to work on the tunnel as quickly as possible.

“Simply put, the DNR’s review and Governor Whitmer’s challenge has gone on long enough and we are calling on the DNR to retract the letter. We believe it is in the best interest of the state that the original compromise to keep Line 5 open and operational be honored until the replacement is opened.

“The company already agreed to move up completion by 2023; why is the state seeking to cause delays again?  The tunnel is the logical solution to keeping Line 5 open, our energy supply secure, thousands of workers on the job and, importantly, to helping protect the Great Lakes.”

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