Enbridge ‘must cease’ Line 5 operations on Bad River land by June 2026: judge

WASHINGTON –

A U.S. choose says the controversial Line 5 pipeline can maintain working on an Indigenous band’s Wisconsin territory — for now.

Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. had requested district courtroom Judge William Conley to make clear his latest order to offer the corporate three years to relocate the pipeline.

Conley makes it clear that Enbridge should proceed to compensate the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa within the meantime.

And on his three-year deadline, the choose was unequivocal: Line 5 should stop operations on Bad River territory no later than June 16, 2023.

Enbridge expects the approval course of for a brand new, 66-kilometre detour might be full a while in 2025, and that relocating the pipe will take a couple of yr.

But latest courtroom paperwork recommend the corporate had been hoping Conley would amend his order to stop a Line 5 shutdown earlier than the detour is full.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 26, 2023.