Will the Line 5 pipeline shut down? Wisconsin court hearings set to begin
Global News
A district court judge in Wisconsin will hear arguments about whether or not to shut down Line 5, a critical cross-border energy conduit between Canada and the U.S.
North America’s existential debate about the virtues and dangers of oil and gas pipelines faces a critical test Thursday in Wisconsin.
That’s where a district court judge will hear arguments about whether or not to shut down Line 5, a critical cross-border energy conduit between Canada and the U.S.
The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa says spring flooding has rendered the risk of a breach on its northern Wisconsin territory too great to ignore.
Alberta-based Enbridge Inc., the pipeline’s owner, says the band is overstating the risk and preventing the company from taking protective measures.
Thursday’s hearing will include lawyers from the state of Michigan, which has been trying in its own courts to shut down Line 5 since 2019.
It’s unclear how long the hearings will last or how quickly district court Judge William Conley will rule on the band’s request for an order to shut the pipeline down.
The band, which argues that Enbridge’s right to operate on its territory has long since expired, fears an imminent disaster after spring floods along the Bad River it says have undermined the terrain around the line.
For its part, Enbridge insists those claims of an emergency are overblown _ and that shutting down the pipeline would be too drastic a remedy.