Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) lashed out at fellow leftist Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after his government bypassed her to ensure an energy pipeline continues operating.
Whitmer has sought to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5, which runs from Canada through Michigan to refineries in the Midwest. If Whitmer is successful, energy disruptions and price increases would be inevitable, analysts say.
The Michigan governor revoked Enbridge’s easement for its pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, and now claims the pipe is trespassing on Michigan property. She has threatened to seize the company’s profits.
Despite Whitmer issuing the order to shut down the pipeline, the company ignored Whitmer’s order. The dispute is currently in the court system, with U.S. District Judge for Western Michigan Janet Neff deciding if the pipeline is an issue for state or federal court.
But, Trudeau’s government has supported continuing the pipe’s operation as it has for decades.
On Monday, the Canadian government “formally invoked … through diplomatic channels” a treaty between it and the United States, the Detroit Free Press reported, drawing Whitmer’s ire.
“Michigan is, and will remain, a strong partner with Canada on a range of issues,” Whitmer said in a statement. “However, I will not remain silent when the fate of the Great Lakes and Michigan hangs in the balance. I had expected that Canada, a nation that prides itself on its commitment to environmental protection, would share my interest in protecting the Great Lakes. Instead, the Government of Canada has chosen to do the bidding of the very oil company responsible for the 2010 Kalamazoo River Oil Spill – one of the largest inland oil spills in the history of the nation that happened right here in Michigan.”
Whitmer, who campaigned on limiting the pipeline, also questioned Trudeau’s commitment to environmentalism in the scathing statement.
“And Canada’s push to store high-level radioactive nuclear waste near Lake Huron has shown that Canada is unwilling to prioritize the Great Lakes over their own energy interests,” she said.
In an effort to support Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel pushed back against the treaty.
“Neither the treaty nor the dispute resolution process are relevant to the question now pending before the court: whether the federal court has jurisdiction over the State’s suit against Enbridge,” she said of Canada’s move, according to The Detroit News.
Amid a visit to Michigan by President Joe Biden (D), Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO Rich Studley challenged Biden to answer if he supports Whitmer’s targeting of Line 5.
Question for Pres Biden: You & Energy Sec Granholm worked diligently to reopen a pipeline serving southeastern states after it was suddenly shutdown by hackers. Gov Whitmer wants to shutdown Line 5 immediately, with no alternative. Do you support or oppose shutting down Line 5? https://t.co/jjePRJIAQB
— Rich Studley, CEO (@rstudley) October 5, 2021
“Question for Pres Biden: You & Energy Sec Granholm worked diligently to reopen a pipeline serving southeastern states after it was suddenly shutdown by hackers. Gov Whitmer wants to shut down Line 5 immediately, with no alternative. Do you support or oppose shutting down Line 5?” he wrote in one message.
Another question for Pres Biden: Gov Whitmer’s plan to immediately shutdown Line 5, with no alternative, would result in lost jobs for construction workers and a propane shortage in the Upper Peninsula? Do you support or oppose Gov Whitmer’s plan to immediately shutdown Line 5? https://t.co/jjePRJIAQB
— Rich Studley, CEO (@rstudley) October 5, 2021
“Another question for Pres Biden: Gov Whitmer’s plan to immediately shutdown Line 5, with no alternative, would result in lost jobs for construction workers and a propane shortage in the Upper Peninsula? Do you support or oppose Gov Whitmer’s plan to immediately shutdown Line 5?” Studley wrote in another.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Shutdown Line5” by Line 5 Awareness.
