Latest news with #Line5
6 days ago
- Business
Carney tells premiers he's 'only going to accept the best deal for Canada' in U.S. trade talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney kicked off his meeting with Canada's premiers in Huntsville, Ont., promising to battle the Trump administration at the negotiating table to ensure the country gets a good trade deal, while also doing everything he can to strengthen the Canadian economy. We are looking for the best deal for Canada; we are only going to accept the best deal for Canada, Carney said Tuesday. Carney is delivering a detailed briefing about his government's ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration as the two countries work toward reaching an agreement by Aug. 1. The prime minister's visit lands in the middle of the three-day first ministers' meeting in the Muskoka region, where the premiers are discussing their own response to the trade war. The central issues to be addressed at this meeting are trade relations and our current trading relationship with the United States, and any steps we can take to build a strong Canadian economy, Carney said. Carney arrived on Monday evening to have dinner with the premiers at Ford's cottage, after spending the day hosting a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators in Ottawa to discuss trade. The prime minister said Canada's economic response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs is built on two tracks: supporting affected industries, such as lumber, steel, auto manufacturing and aluminum production; and ensuring Canada's economy grows by breaking down internal trade barriers and quickly approving major projects. Approving major infrastructure projects like ports, pipelines and mines will be easier now that Bill C-5, or the One Canadian Economy Act, has become law, allowing approvals for projects of national importance to be fast-tracked. With that, Carney said, comes a shift in attitude from the federal government around major new projects, moving from why build, to how to build — and how to work together in order to build. Carney said his new federal projects office will be open by Labour Day, which he said will provide a single point of contact for provinces, companies and communities looking to get major nation-building projects approved. Before going into a closed-door meeting with the premiers, Carney thanked them for their work in signing agreements to take down interprovincial trade barriers so Canadians can work where they want and buy what they want. Ensuring energy security Before the discussions kicked off Tuesday, Ford, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding to build new energy and trade infrastructure. CBC News asked the premiers if Canada needs to replace Line 5 — the more than 1,000-kilometre-long pipeline carrying 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily across Wisconsin and Michigan to refineries in Sarnia, Ont. — regardless of whether there is a private-sector proponent behind such a plan. I believe so, Ford said. "The governor of Michigan ... constantly threatens to cut off Line 5. That would basically shut down our airports, shut down a big part of Ontario. We can't chance it any longer. We need to be independent, we need a pipeline going to southwestern Ontario to one of the refineries, and be self-reliant. We can't rely on the Americans anymore. Simple as that. Enlarge image (new window) The Line 5 pipeline carries Canadian petroleum from Western Canada and Wisconsin, though Michigan to Sarnia, Ont. Photo: CBC In 2023, a U.S. court ruled (new window) in favour of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, ordering Enbridge to shut down parts of the pipeline within three years and pay the band $5.2 million US for trespassing on its land after easement rights expired. The Canadian government argued that a shutdown of the line — in operation since 1953 — would violate a 1977 Canada-U.S. pipeline agreement (new window) in which the countries agreed not to block the flow of each other's hydrocarbons. Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a 5.8-kilometre section of the pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Permits in the U.S. are being fast-tracked to see that work done, but opposition to the move remains. Moe said Canada does not want to find itself in the same position as Europe, which recently found out what it means to be heavily reliant on oil and gas from Russia. We shouldn't allow that to happen to us, as Canadians, to be reliant on another country, Moe said. So yes, I think as Canadians, we certainly need to have a very mature discussion about how we can provide Western Canadian oil and gas to Canadians that live in Central and Eastern Canada for our own good … not only our economic security but our energy security. Smith said building a pipeline entirely within Canada is probably something that is long overdue; we probably should have done it decades ago. Peter Zimonjic (new window) · CBC News · Senior writer Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News who reports for digital, radio and television. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Vintage.
Edmonton Journal
7 days ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
'Can't rely on America': Saskatchewan joins Alberta, Ontario signing MOU on pipeline builds
Saskatchewan has joined Alberta and Ontario in signing a memorandum of understanding to advance pipeline pathways and exports both across Canada and internationally. Article content At a press conference on Tuesday in Huntsville, Ont., Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe became the third premier to join Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford who previously signed two memoranda of understanding at the beginning of July. The three premiers are committing to working collaboratively in a push to make Canada less reliant on its southern counterparts. Article content Article content Article content 'I've said that I'm supportive of pipelines north, east and west. I'd like to see all of them built,' Smith said. Article content Article content 'Clearly, for opening up new markets our best opportunity is to build a pipeline to the northwest B.C. coast in order to access the Asian markets. But it should give us pause that we in Eastern Canada are overly reliant on oil that either has to come by way of the United States or has to be shipped in from overseas.' Article content Tuesday's signed agreement builds upon Smith and Ford's previous memoranda of understanding which looks to explore ways to develop trade corridors and energy infrastructure, strengthen interprovincial trade and increase Canada's global competitiveness. Article content The new agreement aims to move western oil and gas to new and existing refineries in southern Ontario and northern tidewater with a deep-sea port in James Bay. It also looks to connect Ontario's critical minerals in the Ring of Fire region to new ports in Western Canada to build an 'end-to-end' critical mineral supply chain. Article content Article content Ford said it would be built using Ontario and Saskatchewan steel. Article content Article content 'We can't rely on America anymore,' Ford said, pointing to Line 5, an oil pipeline which conveys crude oil from Western Canada to Eastern Canada that runs through the U.S. Article content 'I love the Americans…I love the people, I love the elected officials — except one. We have to start diversifying our trade around the globe.' Article content All three premiers are calling on the federal government to eliminate its barriers like Bill C-69 (Ottawa's impact assessment law for major natural resource projects), the oil and gas emissions cap, the tanker ban, and the net zero vehicle and electricity mandates. Article content Moe said the number one economic priority for those in Western Canada is having access to the northwest coast which he said will shrink the differential and provide additional egress capacity into the U.S.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EGLE opens public comment on Line 5 tunnel project
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has on Enbridge Energy's permit application for the proposed Line 5 tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac. The Canadian company plans to tunnel under the straits to place a new pipeline to replace , which is now 72 years old and past the date of its previously estimated lifespan. Analysis on Line 5 project identifies short and long term risks Line 5 carries natural gas and crude oil across the Great Lakes region, spanning from Superior, Wisconsin all the way to Sarnia, Ontario. Environmentalists have been vocal about concerns of a potentially catastrophic oil spill in the straits for nearly a decade now. Enbridge engineers had confirmed that there were gaps in the pipeline's coating in the Straits of Mackinac. Those fears were exacerbated in 2018 when a boat anchor struck the pipeline and caused damage. That strike helped push forward the plan to replace the pipeline with the tunnel project. The issued state permits for the project in December 2023, but several environmental groups and local indigenous communities have petitioned the courts to reverse the MPSC decision. Enbridge claims a Line 5 shutdown would have a dramatic impact on the region, especially Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and cut thousands of jobs. Environmentalists have pushed back against the company's reports, calling them exaggerated, while noting a major oil spill could cripple the Great Lakes economy. A , led by University of Michigan hydrodynamics expert David Schwab, ran 840 simulations of a 25,000-barrel leak in the Straits of Mackinac. The study found up to 720 miles of shoreline on the U.S. and Canadian coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron would require cleanup. Mackinac and Bois Blanc islands would also face serious risk, along with Beaver Island, Harbor Springs and Cheboygan. All told, that could cost billions in cleanup and lost economic opportunity. Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Straits of Mackinac pipeline tunnel project Comments will be accepted through Aug. 29. Two virtual meetings will be held during the public notice period. One is an 'informational session' on Aug. 12 to discuss the application and review process. The other is on Aug. 19. That one is considered the 'formal public hearing' on the Line 5 project. The public can register to attend either hearing through . Public comments can also be submitted through the department's site, via email or mail: EGLE, GDO-WRD, P.O. Box 30458, Lansing, Michigan, 48909. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan environmental groups argue Line 5 tunnel project lacks key climate considerations
Protesters gathered near the shore on Mackinac Island in opposition to the Line 5 tunnel project during the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, May 29, 2025. | Kyle Davidson This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. Groups submitting comments on the latest stage of the Line 5 oil pipeline project in Michigan argue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has failed to complete adequate analyses of climate change impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. On May 30, the Corps' Detroit district released its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Enbridge Energy Line 5 Tunnel Project, in which energy company Enbridge would construct a 3.6-mile tunnel under the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac that would house a replacement segment of Line 5, through which Enbridge transports 540,000 barrels per day of oil and natural gas liquids. However, experts from the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) and the Michigan Climate Action Network (MiCAN), which submitted joint comments on the project on June 30, argue that the draft EIS is inadequate, failing to take climate change into consideration and overlooking potential harms of the project. 'The biggest thing is that the Corps decided to entirely exclude any considerations of greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts that are associated with the tunnel project, and their reasoning for doing this was that it's consistent with the executive order that President Trump issued earlier this year,' said Ellis Walton, an associate attorney at ELPC. ELPC argued that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires a deeper review than the Corps completed. 'NEPA the statute, as well as NEPA precedent … has established that federal agencies should be looking at foreseeable effects of major federal actions, and it's pretty foreseeable that a tunnel project that extends the lifeline of [an oil] pipeline would have foreseeable climate impacts and foreseeably contribute to greenhouse gases and climate change,' Walton said. 'It's so important for the Corps to analyze these climate impacts and understand how we may be harming environmental quality now as well as in the future.' The country is in a moment of rapid upending of environmental rules that experts warn will harm Americans' health and limit public participation in government decisions. Some of the changes affect NEPA, passed in 1970 and often called the 'Magna Carta' of U.S. environmental law. Changes to NEPA rules were issued in late June by agencies including the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Interior, Defense and Transportation 'to simplify this overly burdensome process and ensure efficient and timely environmental reviews,' the White House said in a statement at the time. That comes on the heels of a May 29 U.S. Supreme Court decision that gives the federal government more power to decide what to focus on in a NEPA review—and what to leave out. 'Courts should afford substantial deference and should not micromanage those agency choices so long as they fall within a broad zone of reasonableness,' Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote. Keele and Walton said their groups are still reviewing the changes, but both expressed confidence that earlier precedents on NEPA will provide stable grounds for arguing against the project. Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said the company supports and welcomes the public comment process now underway. 'Public and stakeholder input is essential to the integrity of this process, and we look forward to hearing feedback, answering questions, and continuing to engage transparently with all interested parties,' Duffy said in a statement. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that the project is part of the Trump administration's promise to unleash American energy to promote the economy and security while protecting natural resources. 'Line 5 is great for families in Michigan and Wisconsin, who benefit from quality jobs within the energy industry and lower costs from expanded pipelines,' Kelly said in a statement. In comments to Inside Climate News, the Corps reiterated that it removed the topics of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change from the draft EIS in accordance with the executive orders. The Corps has said since 2023 that it would not evaluate climate impacts from the extraction and use of the pipeline's products in its EIS of the Line 5 project. Although it initially said it would evaluate emissions from tunnel construction and operation, no such evaluation appears in the current draft EIS. In that draft, the agency says greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and environmental justice are 'Not Applicable' for the draft EIS because of Trump's Jan. 20 'Unleashing American Energy' executive order and his move to rescind executive orders signed by Democratic presidents. In the Corps' executive summary of the draft EIS, the terms 'climate change' and 'greenhouse gas emissions' do not appear at all (although the term 'emissions' is included, in each case related to local air quality). Denise Keele, executive director of MiCAN, said her group argues that the energy crisis cited in Trump's executive order is not a true emergency. 'The last time we checked, our fossil fuel industry was making record profits, and I don't think there's an emergency in getting fossil fuels out of the ground,' Keele said, adding that the 'real emergency' is the potential impacts of climate change on human health and the environment that could result if the project is constructed. The Corps also cited Trump's order in April when announcing a truncated timeline for public comment on the project and its draft EIS, giving groups less time to review the statement and submit robust comments on it. The normal comment period is 60 days, and for a project this big it is usually extended up to 90, Keele said. In this case, the period was 30 days. The Line 5 tunnel project has been under scrutiny from lawmakers, environmentalists and tribes in the Great Lakes region for over a decade. In 2020, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered the Department of Natural Resources to revoke the permit allowing Enbridge to operate its dual pipelines in the Straits. Enbridge challenged that decision with a lawsuit filed the same year. Attorneys for the state are still seeking to dismiss the challenge. Another ongoing case, filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in 2019 against Enbridge, argues the 1953 permit for Line 5 was never valid. On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would take up the case to determine whether it belongs in state or federal court. Duffy said Enbridge is looking forward to the high court's review. Keele said another concern is the precedent that the project could set should it move forward. If the project is approved without proper analyses of climate change, other companies may have more leeway to cite the project and executive order as reasons for why NEPA considerations aren't necessary, she said. Meanwhile, Keele said, Michigan has been prioritizing a renewable energy economy—it set a goal to generate 60 percent of state electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Moving forward with Line 5, she said, would go against the state's efforts to phase out fossil fuels. 'Michigan already knows it doesn't want to suffer those climate impacts, and we're moving in the other direction,' Keele said.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sheboygan letter-writers on Enbridge Line 5, Democratic Party's 4th of July parade display
Here are this week's letters to the editor of the Sheboygan Press. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views. Last fall, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources determined — after more than four years of review and nearly a thousand pages of environmental assessments — that the Enbridge Line 5 relocation project in Bayfield, Ashland and Iron counties could be built within the boundaries of our state's strict environmental laws. The DNR included more than 200 stipulations in their permits — including independent observers — to ensure the construction of this pipeline project followed state laws. This would seem like a reasonable conclusion and requirement for reasonable people. But opponents of this project have long put reason aside. They have now moved on to the courts. Not only are they going after the DNR's decision through the administrative court process, but they have also filed a lawsuit against the decision. The DNR performed a comprehensive review of the Line 5 relocation. They spent years compiling data and coming to a justifiable conclusion. Sadly, opponents of the project have put their radical views ahead of the science the DNR used in issuing the permits. Line 5 is an integral part of our energy supply and the relocation needs to move forward. These legal games need to stop, and we need to trust the DNR's decision. Ted Keneklis Sheboygan I just returned from watching the Sheboygan Fourth of July parade, which was excellent. Of all of the groups in the parade, only one was disappointing: the Sheboygan County Democratic Party. All other groups and people set aside their differences for today and came together to celebrate the greatness and uniqueness of America. Whatever religion, color or ethnicity they were, they gave their respect to our flag and country. The Black-American group, the Hmong, the different churches and branches of government proudly showed their uniqueness with their costumes and customs. Yet, they were there for one purpose: to celebrate being Americans in the best country in the world. Unfortunately, the Sheboygan County Democratic Party showed up with anti-American, anti-president and unpatriotic messages and signs. Shame on you. This was not the time and place for protesting. I was not the only person in the crowd who was shocked to see signs like 'No Kings' and 'The Big Beautiful Bill is Bad.' I heard verbal gasps and remarks like 'Really?' and 'That's terrible.' People were shaking their heads. Judi Pool Sheboygan Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to news@ and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@ Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel. This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan letters to the editor on Enbridge Line 5, 4th of July parade
