When it comes to the “keep it in the ground” crowd, a few little things like a global pandemic, a border crisis, and the collapse of Afghanistan aren’t going to slow them down. This is particularly true in Michigan, where protesters continue to disrupt the construction of multiple oil and gas pipelines however they can. And they’ve had plenty of support from Governor Gretchen Whitmer in these efforts. One of the larger bones of contention in this battle has been Canadian operator Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, stretching from Minnesota to Ontario through Michigan. The pipeline is aging and the company is seeking to replace portions of it with a tunnel running under a strait in the Great Lakes. In the meantime, they’ve been keeping the existing line flowing despite an order from Whitmer to shut it down. The two sides have been in stalled negotiations for some time, but now the Canadian government is stepping in and asking the courts for relief based on a 1977 treaty that forbids local authorities from closing off the flow of fuel.
Line 5 is one of the major channels for the importation of propane, a fuel that remains in high demand in the United States for a variety of purposes. Shutting it down would seriously impact the availability and drive up prices even further, just as winter is approaching.--
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