Flow Water Advocates

08/28/2026

Nobody in 1953 asked whether an oil pipeline belonged in the heart of the Great Lakes. But here in 2026, we know better. Here are three things important things to do over the coming months:

✅ Tell Governor Gretchen Whitmer to finish the job she started in 2020, withdraw the EGLE permits, and shut down Line 5 before she leaves office. Visit Oil And Water Don't Mix dot ORG to learn how.

✅ The MPSC has been ordered to re-do the pipeline permit. Get ready to show up and ask the hard questions.

✅ Put the question to every candidate you meet. No one should get elected to statewide office without telling the people of Michigan where they stand on Line 5.

08/26/2026

On Tuesday, there was an accident on Enbridge's Line 5 reroute project in Iron County, Wisconsin, rupturing a pipe, releasing natural gas liquids, and forcing the evacuation of nearby homes.

We can't trust the Straits of Mackinac to Enbridge.

08/24/2026

From the Northern Express:

"Some oil makes it to refineries in Detroit and Ohio, but the vast majority of the product ends up at Sarnia’s petrochemical complex in Ontario. So, product extracted from Canada, goes into a Canadian-owned pipeline and mostly ends up in Canada for use by Canadians, but the pipeline runs exclusively through Michigan whose residents get all the risk. And there is risk.

You must think Enbridge surely pays the state plenty for the right to do this. They pay their share of taxes, and they’ve paid some hefty settlements for line mishaps, but they pay not a cent to run the pipelines—not a lease fee nor a royalty."

Read more:

Enbridge’s Line 5 was first built in 1953, running across the Upper Peninsula, under the Straits of Mackinac, and down the spine of the Lower Penins…

08/20/2026

Thursday is the day! Spend your lunch time with Flow and an all-star panel of legal and advocacy experts, as we unpack the recent court and permit decisions on Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.

REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__mIq7csWTx2sskdzpmZa2A #

08/17/2026

Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and proposed tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac threaten the Great Lakes, while primarily serving Canada. In July, the Tribal and environmental coalition earned a significant victory when the Michigan Supreme Court vacated a required state permit for the tunnel project. Meanwhile, additional state and federal permit processes continue to play out, as the Line 5 issue shapes the important November election.

This Thursday, join Flow Water Advocates and Oil & Water Don't Mix for a live webinar, A Deep Dive on Line 5, as we unpack what it all means, what happens next, and how you can help get oil out of the Great Lakes.

REGISTER at the link below 🔗👇

08/12/2026

Fast-tracked under a January 2025 presidential executive order declaring a trumped-up “energy emergency,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced its decision to approve the Canadian company Enbridge’s pipeline tunnel through Lake Michigan at the Straits of Mackinac.

The tunnel project can not move forward, however, without a permit from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) — which the Michigan Supreme Court struck down in a 6-1 ruling.

In our recent victory in FLOW v. MPSC and the parallel Tribal coalition case, the Court vacated the MPSC permit and ordered it to complete a comprehensive analysis of the environmental and public trust impacts, and fairly compare feasible and prudent alternatives.

Read our full statement at the link below 🔗👇

08/07/2026

On Monday evening, our friends at NMARD and Groundwork Center will host a hybrid in-person and virtual event, Lessons Learned from the Data Center Fightback. This evening will help people understand the growing impact of AI data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities in Northern Michigan, and what has been successful in our campaign. Registration at the link below 👇🔗

Learn from leading experts about environmental impacts and how you can be involved in shaping your community's response to a data center proposal. Find details for all in-person venues at QR code or this link: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/northern-michigan-alliance-for-responsible-development?source=direct_link&

08/05/2026

A required tunnel permit was just struck down by the Michigan Supreme Court; but the Whitmer administration approved two other permits; and yet two more are still pending. Then there's Nessel v. Enbridge and Enbridge v. Whitmer, and a new court decision in the Bad River Band's Line 5 case in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, there's a major election coming up, and Line 5 is a big issue.

🤯 What the heck is going on?!

Let's unpack it all together at our 👉 live webinar 👈 on August 20 📌. We've assembled a super-group of legal and advocacy experts, and we have *a lot* to talk about — and we'll take your questions.

08/01/2026

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in FLOW v. MPSC, sending Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel permit back to the Michigan Public Service Commission for a new comprehensive environmental review.