The Enbridge Line 5 saga continues, this time with a judge ordering part of the pipeline shut down within the next three years. It’s a move that critics say will cost the state hundreds of jobs.
Here’s Five Fast Facts About the Line 5 Shutdown:
- 👨⚖️ Gavel - A federal judge has ruled Enbridge is trespassing on tribal lands, ordering them to remove the oil and gas pipeline and pay $5.1M in damages.
- 👋 Goodbye - The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa didn’t renew Enbridge’s Easement on the land in 2013. They’re very concerned about the environmental damage that would occur if those pipes burst and make a mess like an opening night screening of Magic Mike’s Last Dance.
- 🛢️ Gallons - The line carries up to 23 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas liquids every day over 645 miles. It has been active for nearly 70 years.
- 🎲 Gamble - Enbridge has offered to reroute the line across private land in Ashland and Iron counties. The public, unions, and Republican lawmakers have come out in support of this move, but it’s still waiting on permits from our Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers. The reroute would create an estimated 700 jobs and have a $135M economic impact.
- 🔥 Gutsy - Enbridge says the shutdown will result in the loss of 6,000 jobs, nearly $5B and increase fuel costs by $20M.
🔥Bottom line: There’s no real winner in this situation. Enbridge has a major financial investment they want to protect and, understandably, the tribe wants to save their land. They also had a contract with Enbridge that wasn’t renewed. Regardless, something needs to be decided and decided soon or we could all be paying the costs.
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