TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Enbridge Inc. says it's setting a firm deadline for completing a proposed oil pipeline tunnel beneath a key Great Lakes channel.
The Canadian company says it has pledged to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac would be in service by early 2024.
Company officials previously have mentioned that year as a goal for finishing the project. But spokesman Michael Barnes said Thursday the company made a firm commitment to it in a recent letter to Whitmer.
The Democratic governor and Enbridge have been negotiating changes in a tunnel agreement reached with former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder last year.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said Wednesday she would move to shut down Enbridge's oil pipes in the waterway in June if a new agreement isn't reached.
