(Washington) For the second time in a year, the Government of Canada is invoking a little-known energy treaty dating back to 1977 between Canada and the United States to defend Line 5, an oil pipeline that crisscrosses the territory of both countries.
Posted at 6:15 a.m.
This time it’s about Wisconsin, where Line 5 runs along the southwest shores of Lake Superior before crossing into Michigan. In both states, federal judges are hearing court cases seeking to shut down the controversial cross-border pipeline.
An aboriginal band in Wisconsin claims that the owner of the pipeline, the company Enbridge, of Calgary, no longer has the right to operate on its territory.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is seeking to negotiate an agreement with the United States because of the importance of Line 5 to North America’s energy security.
The treaty, which was invoked last October in the Michigan case, is expressly designed to ensure the uninterrupted exploitation of hydrocarbons throughout the United States.
“The economic and energy disruption and damage to Canada and the United States from the closure of Line 5 would be widespread and significant,” Minister Joly wrote in a statement.
“It would have an impact on energy prices, such as propane for heating homes, and the price of gasoline at the pump. At a time when global inflation is preventing families from making ends meet, these are unacceptable prospects. »
The statement said Canada “strongly” supports an Enbridge proposal to reroute the pipeline around the Bad River Band reservation in northern Wisconsin.