Today’s decision in U.S. District Court dismissing Michigan's motion to have the Line 5 shutdown case sent back to state court means that a foreign corporation has secured at least a temporary success in protecting oil profits at any cost--even if that means keeping the Great Lakes at tremendous risk.
The court’s decision may appear to be a victory for Canada and Enbridge, but the reality is that Canadians and Michiganders who care about protecting the Great Lakes and our climate both lose with this decision.
Ultimately it may be up to President Biden to decide whether a 68-year-old oil Canadian pipeline is more important than the Great Lakes and his just days-old commitment to reducing fossil fuels by 45 percent by 2030. The fact is, we don’t have until 2030 to protect the Great Lakes from the twin oil pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac--they are a ticking time bomb. If, as Judge Neff has decided, this is a federal matter and the people of Michigan have no voice, the president must now speak for us. President Biden has the power to withdraw the presidential permit for Line 5, save the Great Lakes, and honor his commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He should stand by Governor Whitmer and do it without delay. Time is not on our side.
Showing 1 reaction
Sign in with