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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Designating the Line 5 Tunnel as an "emergency project" sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the established regulatory process of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, endangering the waters, wildlife, and people of the Great Lakes.

"Building a tunnel under the Great Lakes to house an outdated and dangerous pipeline is risky. Expediting that process is reckless," said Beth Wallace, climate and energy director for the National Wildlife Federation. "The permitting processes exist for a reason. We cannot afford to bypass safety in order to line the pockets of a foreign oil company."

Experts have involved in the tunnel project, citing risks of tunnel collapse, methane explosion, and the danger of wastewater discharge, among other dangers.

Line 5, a 72-year-old oil pipeline operated by Canadian company Enbridge, runs through critical ecosystems, including the Bad River Reservation and under the Great Lake, through the Straits of Mackinac. It has been the subject of increasing concern due to its aging infrastructure and history of spills. Tribal groups, citizens, and environmentalists have called for its decommissioning, citing the risk it poses to freshwater sources, Tribal lands, and local ecosystems.