Line 5 gets Canadian support, protester pushback

Enbridge’s Line 5, which transports light oil and natural gas liquids that supply more than half of Michigan’s propane needs, was back in the news in October when the Canadian government filed a letter in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan indicating that it had formally requested negotiations with the United States under Article IX of the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty.

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sought to shut down the pipeline as a way to protect the Great Lakes from an oil spill and called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reverse the decision, which invokes a dispute settlement provision while products continue to flow between the two countries.

Canada also asked the court to halt any proceedings relating to shutdown orders imposed by Whitmer while negotiations are ongoing, according to Reuters.

Line 5 travels through Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas – originating in Superior, Wisconsin, passing under the Straits of Mackinac and terminating in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

Separately, Calgary-based Enbridge stopped pipeline flows for several hours when protesters entered its property and closed an emergency shutoff valve.