The Canadian embassy in Washington is expressing alarm — again — at the latest attempt to shut down the Line 5 mainline that ships from oil to Southern Ontario via Michigan and Wisconsin..On Tuesday the embassy delivered a statement on behalf of the federal government arguing against efforts by the Bad River Chippewa band in Wisconsin to “immediately and permanently” shut down the segment of the line that crosses its territory near Lake Superior..“Canada is extremely concerned … shutting down Line 5 will create significant economic disruption across the U.S. Midwest, and in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec,” it said. “The energy security of both Canada and the United States would be directly impacted by a Line 5 closure.”.The Bad River band is arguing spring flooding washed away significant portions of the banks where Line 5 cross Lake Superior. Last week the band filed an emergency motion to close the pipeline “immediately.”.This Thursday a Wisconsin judge will hear oral arguments on whether to grant the injunction, which would cut off Ontario as well as significant portions of the US Midwest from Alberta oil supplies..That’s because Line 5 supplies six refineries in Ontario and Quebec, including the Sabrina refinery and petrochemical complex. In the US, Line 5 supplies four refineries in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. A 2021 third-party study indicated a shutdown would threaten more than 33,000 US jobs and jeopardize $20 billion in economic activity, the embassy said..It is the boldest statement from the federal government on the matter since it invoked the dispute resolution mechanism of the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty in August of last year. Canada is arguing actions to close Line 5 amount to a violation of its rights to “an uninterrupted flow of hydrocarbons” under the pact. The most recent hearing took place in Washington on April 14..The embassy said it “supports appropriate, science-based efforts to ensure the safety of the pipeline and believes that the appropriate U.S. regulatory authorities should conduct an independent and objective assessment of local conditions and safety measures that can be implemented before any shutdown is considered.” .If a shutdown were ordered because of this specific temporary flood situation, Canada said it expects the United States to comply with its obligations under the 1977 treaty, “including the expeditious restoration of normal pipeline operations.”.“At a time of heightened concern over energy security and supply, including during the energy transition, maintaining and protecting existing infrastructure should be a top priority. Canada raised these concerns with the US on numerous occasions.”.While the embassy said Canada “respects the rights and interests of indigenous peoples, including the Bad River,” it also “strongly” supports Enbridge’s attempts to reroute the line, which is presently undergoing US state and federal review. .“This infrastructure solution will keep Line 5 operating, further enhance environmental protections, meet critical energy needs in both Canada and the US, and fulfill the Bad River Band's desire to remove the pipeline segment from its reservation,” it said..The group has been arguing with Calgary-based Enbridge since at least 2019 to reroute the line off its lands, something which the company has agreed to do. In a statement to the Canadian Press on Tuesday, Enbridge representatives described the court motion as “truly outrageous.”
