CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Michigan’s Governor gave May 11 as the deadline for the Line 5 pipeline that runs through that state, but Enbridge is refusing to bow to that decision.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said if the pipeline was not shut down, she is threatening to seize all profits from Enbridge.
Steelworkers working on Line 5, which stretches from Ontario into Michigan, are also making a last-ditch effort to try and keep the project open.
The federal government said Tuesday shutting down Line 5 would ‘harm’ the relationship between Canada and the United States.
It also says shutting down that line contravenes a 1977 treaty between the two countries.
READ MORE: On eve of deadline, Canada makes case in court to keep Line 5 pipeline running
The Line 5 pipeline ships over half a million barrels a day of oil and natural gas to several states as well as Ontario and Quebec.
The mayor of Sarnia, where the line begins, says up to 4,900 jobs could be lost if it’s shut down, with another 23,000 jobs across Ontario also expected to disappear.
Whitmer revoked the 1953 easement for the pipeline in November of 2020 citing environmental concerns.
Meantime, Enbridge has said it won’t shut down the pipeline unless a judge orders it. It’s been in court-ordered mediation since last April.
A court-appointed mediator is scheduled to meet with the two sides again on May 18.
