Retire Enbridge Line 5 Oil & Gas Pipeline
Canada Invokes 1977 Treaty w/ U.S. to Block Michigan's Cancellation of Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline
On October 4, 2021 the Trudeau government invoked a 1977 treaty with the U.S. to force "bilateral negotiations" over Enbridge Inc's Line 5 pipeline, which ships 540,00 barrels per day of crude and refined petroleum from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. However the State of Michigan ordered Enbridge to shut down Line 5 due to worries a leak could develop in a section running beneath the Straits of Mackinac in the Great Lakes - More than 30 MILLION people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water - 10% of the U.S. population and 30% of Canada!
Enbridge ignored Michigan's order to stop the flow of the antique pipeline in disrepair, and the sides are embroiled in a legal battle. Ottawa has been pushing its counterparts in the U.S. to intervene. In a statement Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said Canada's 1977 treaty with the U.S. "guarantees the uninterrupted transit of light crude oil and natural gas liquids between the two countries."
Meanwhile Line 5 crosses over 400 ecologically sensitive wetlands and waterways - None more vulnerable than the Straits of Mackinac where currents are strong - There is ten times more flow in the Straits than there is over Niagara Falls! Line 5 is 67 years-old, in poor condition, and there is always a hazard of a dropped anchor rupturing the pipeline. In fact during April 2018 an anchor drop broke two electrical cables, spilled over 600 gallons of oil, and put three dents in the already deteriorating Line 5.
Instead of serving as a wake-up call, Enbridge has lobbied Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau, who also wrote: "In response to Michigan's efforts to shut down Line 5, Canada has raised its significance for Canadian economic and energy security at the highest levels of the U.S. federal government[...] implementing the international agreements that are in place between our two countries."
Environmental group 350 Canada slammed Garneau, stating "the lengths our government will go to prop up the fossil fuel industry, when they could be throwing down behind a just transition that puts people, our planet, and workers first." The Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people of Bay Mills say life began in the Straits of Mackinac - The waters where Lake Huron and Lake Erie meet is a sacred space - The area remains integral to the daily practice of their cultural lifeways. Since time immemorial Indigenous communities have been dependent on the abundant fish and wildlife in the Straits of Mackinac, with commercial and subsistence fishing and hunting providing vital economic influx for the Bay Mills Indian Community.
During the 1950s - Without tribal consultation nor public input - The State of Michigan granted Enbridge a lease and permission to build the original Line 5 dual pipeline. During 2021 Enbridge has been seeking to build a tunnel to house a new segment of Line 5. The pipeline will continue transporting non-consumer oil and gas products with little to no financial benefit to local residents. By violating Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's cancellation of the easement that permits the dual pipeline to cross the Straits of Mackinac, Enbridge is trespassing as it continues to operate Line 5 in violation of the termination notice.
The Bay Mills Indian Community has invoked its own treaty rights, from the Treaty of March 28, 1836 with the U.S. - Preceding the 1977 Treaty between Canada and the U.S. by more than a century! The Anishinaabe treaty of 1836 agreed to share tribal lands with the U.S. in what became the State of Michigan, but they reserved continued tribal use of treaty-protected resources, including the Straits of Mackinac - HONOR INDIGENOUS TREATIES!
Line 5 has sparked protests by environmental groups such as Oil & Water Don't Mix, whose coordinator Sean McBrearty said: "The government of Canada took an action today that ignores the risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes and seems clearly designed to delay a legal decision to shut down Enbridge's twin Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac." Michigan leaders have argued Line 5 threatens the entire Great Lakes region - About 20% of the world's fresh water supply!
"The Government of Canada continues to align itself with Enbridge's desire to keep using State-owned lands to pump oil through the heart of the Great Lakes, threatening out most precious public resources," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, dismissing the Canadian government's letter to the court.
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare also said in a statement: "It is upsetting to see that the Government of Canada will pick and choose which treaties to uphold based on convenience and profit, rather than in good faith for the health, safety, and well-being of all inhabitants of these lands[...] Canada is not upholding the treaties made with the First Nations, but will uphold the 1977 treaty for pipelines."
The sentiments of the Anishinabek Nation have fallen on the deaf ears of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said in a tweet: "Line 5 is a vital source of energy for Ontario that generates thousands of good-paying jobs. We support the federal government taking this important step." Facts: 1.) Enbridge's existing Line 5 system has spilled more than 1.1 MILLION gallons of oil. 2.) Enbridge incurred $6.5 million in fines for failing to properly maintain and repair the existing system that includes Line 5. 3.) Enbridge is operating Line 5 under an expired easement and trespassing on the State of Michigan.
Throughout its length, Line 5 puts people and ecosystems at risk of more oil leaks and spills, and the Anishinaabe people and many local residents depend upon the health of the Straits of Mackinac. For millennia human beings have lived, fished, and hunted at this sacred water body with a feeling of respect to be alive and present in such a unique place - Oil leaks and spills into the Great Lakes would be tragic.
This is the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill - Even a small spill would likely impact 37 miles of shoreline - A large spill could impact 722 miles of shoreline! The Coast Guard estimates a 30% clean up of an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be the best case scenario. In less than 3 hours after a spill, Michigan would experience an estimated $6 BILLION blow to its economy, and over 3,500 species inhabiting the Great Lakes would be impacted. Enbridge argues every day Line 5 is not running it suffers a "$1.76 million loss", but Line 5 puts water, jobs, and quality of life in the Great Lakes in grave peril - So what is more important: The profits of a privately-owned, international, export-only oil pipeline company or the drinking water and livelihood of 30 million people?
*Photo by Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP
Wake Up and Smell the Petroleum Enbridge!
Instead of serving as a wake-up call, Enbridge has lobbied Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau, who also wrote: "In response to Michigan's efforts to shut down Line 5, Canada has raised its significance for Canadian economic and energy security at the highest levels of the U.S. federal government[...] implementing the international agreements that are in place between our two countries."
Environmental group 350 Canada slammed Garneau, stating "the lengths our government will go to prop up the fossil fuel industry, when they could be throwing down behind a just transition that puts people, our planet, and workers first." The Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people of Bay Mills say life began in the Straits of Mackinac - The waters where Lake Huron and Lake Erie meet is a sacred space - The area remains integral to the daily practice of their cultural lifeways. Since time immemorial Indigenous communities have been dependent on the abundant fish and wildlife in the Straits of Mackinac, with commercial and subsistence fishing and hunting providing vital economic influx for the Bay Mills Indian Community.
During the 1950s - Without tribal consultation nor public input - The State of Michigan granted Enbridge a lease and permission to build the original Line 5 dual pipeline. During 2021 Enbridge has been seeking to build a tunnel to house a new segment of Line 5. The pipeline will continue transporting non-consumer oil and gas products with little to no financial benefit to local residents. By violating Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's cancellation of the easement that permits the dual pipeline to cross the Straits of Mackinac, Enbridge is trespassing as it continues to operate Line 5 in violation of the termination notice.
You Wanna Play Rough? Ok! Say 'Hello' to the Bay Mills Indian Community Treaty w US from March 1836!
The Bay Mills Indian Community has invoked its own treaty rights, from the Treaty of March 28, 1836 with the U.S. - Preceding the 1977 Treaty between Canada and the U.S. by more than a century! The Anishinaabe treaty of 1836 agreed to share tribal lands with the U.S. in what became the State of Michigan, but they reserved continued tribal use of treaty-protected resources, including the Straits of Mackinac - HONOR INDIGENOUS TREATIES!
Line 5 has sparked protests by environmental groups such as Oil & Water Don't Mix, whose coordinator Sean McBrearty said: "The government of Canada took an action today that ignores the risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes and seems clearly designed to delay a legal decision to shut down Enbridge's twin Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac." Michigan leaders have argued Line 5 threatens the entire Great Lakes region - About 20% of the world's fresh water supply!
"The Government of Canada continues to align itself with Enbridge's desire to keep using State-owned lands to pump oil through the heart of the Great Lakes, threatening out most precious public resources," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, dismissing the Canadian government's letter to the court.
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare also said in a statement: "It is upsetting to see that the Government of Canada will pick and choose which treaties to uphold based on convenience and profit, rather than in good faith for the health, safety, and well-being of all inhabitants of these lands[...] Canada is not upholding the treaties made with the First Nations, but will uphold the 1977 treaty for pipelines." Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.
Enbridge Now Wants to Play it Safe. How Safe is 1.1 MILLION G of Oil Leaked from Line 5 Since 1968?
The Bay Mills Indian Community has invoked its own treaty rights, from the Treaty of March 28, 1836 with the U.S. - Preceding the 1977 Treaty between Canada and the U.S. by more than a century! The Anishinaabe treaty of 1836 agreed to share tribal lands with the U.S. in what became the State of Michigan, but they reserved continued tribal use of treaty-protected resources, including the Straits of Mackinac - HONOR INDIGENOUS TREATIES!
The sentiments of the Anishinabek Nation have fallen on the deaf ears of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said in a tweet: "Line 5 is a vital source of energy for Ontario that generates thousands of good-paying jobs. We support the federal government taking this important step." Facts: 1.) Enbridge's existing Line 5 system has spilled more than 1.1 MILLION gallons of oil. 2.) Enbridge incurred $6.5 million in fines for failing to properly maintain and repair the existing system that includes Line 5. 3.) Enbridge is operating Line 5 under an expired easement and trespassing on the State of Michigan.
Throughout its length, Line 5 puts people and ecosystems at risk of more oil leaks and spills, and the Anishinaabe people and many local residents depend upon the health of the Straits of Mackinac. For millennia human beings have lived, fished, and hunted at this sacred water body with a feeling of respect to be alive and present in such a unique place - Oil leaks and spills into the Great Lakes would be tragic.
This is the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill - Even a small spill would likely impact 37 miles of shoreline - A large spill could impact 722 miles of shoreline! The Coast Guard estimates a 30% clean up of an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be the best case scenario. In less than 3 hours after a spill, Michigan would experience an estimated $6 BILLION blow to its economy, and over 3,500 species inhabiting the Great Lakes would be impacted. Enbridge argues every day Line 5 is not running it suffers a "$1.76 million loss", but Line 5 puts water, jobs, and quality of life in the Great Lakes in grave peril - So what is more important: The profits of a privately-owned, international, export-only oil pipeline company or the drinking water and livelihood of 30 million people?
The sentiments of the Anishinabek Nation have fallen on the deaf ears of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said in a tweet: "Line 5 is a vital source of energy for Ontario that generates thousands of good-paying jobs. We support the federal government taking this important step." Facts: 1.) Enbridge's existing Line 5 system has spilled more than 1.1 MILLION gallons of oil. 2.) Enbridge incurred $6.5 million in fines for failing to properly maintain and repair the existing system that includes Line 5. 3.) Enbridge is operating Line 5 under an expired easement and trespassing on the State of Michigan.
Throughout its length, Line 5 puts people and ecosystems at risk of more oil leaks and spills, and the Anishinaabe people and many local residents depend upon the health of the Straits of Mackinac. For millennia human beings have lived, fished, and hunted at this sacred water body with a feeling of respect to be alive and present in such a unique place - Oil leaks and spills into the Great Lakes would be tragic.
This is the worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill - Even a small spill would likely impact 37 miles of shoreline - A large spill could impact 722 miles of shoreline! The Coast Guard estimates a 30% clean up of an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would be the best case scenario. In less than 3 hours after a spill, Michigan would experience an estimated $6 BILLION blow to its economy, and over 3,500 species inhabiting the Great Lakes would be impacted. Enbridge argues every day Line 5 is not running it suffers a "$1.76 million loss", but Line 5 puts water, jobs, and quality of life in the Great Lakes in grave peril - So what is more important: The profits of a privately-owned, international, export-only oil pipeline company or the drinking water and livelihood of 30 million people?Line 5 has sparked protests by environmental groups such as Oil & Water Don't Mix, whose coordinator Sean McBrearty said: "The government of Canada took an action today that ignores the risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes and seems clearly designed to delay a legal decision to shut down Enbridge's twin Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac." Michigan leaders have argued Line 5 threatens the entire Great Lakes region - About 20% of the world's fresh water supply!
"The Government of Canada continues to align itself with Enbridge's desire to keep using State-owned lands to pump oil through the heart of the Great Lakes, threatening out most precious public resources," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, dismissing the Canadian government's letter to the court.
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare also said in a statement: "It is upsetting to see that the Government of Canada will pick and choose which treaties to uphold based on convenience and profit, rather than in good faith for the health, safety, and well-being of all inhabitants of these lands[...] Canada is not upholding the treaties made with the First Nations, but will uphold the 1977 treaty for pipelines."