WASHINGTON – A judge in Wisconsin has ruled in favour of an Indigenous band in its dispute with Enbridge over the Line 5 pipeline.
However, the decision by District Court Judge William Conley stops short of shutting down the controversial cross-border oil and gas link.
Conley acknowledges that such an order would have serious foreign-policy ramifications for both Canada and the United States.
He also notes Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s recent decision to invoke a 1977 treaty between the two countries that specifically covers cross-border pipelines.
Conley says the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, which wants the pipeline removed from its territory, is entitled to financial compensation.
And he’s ordered Enbridge to reroute the pipeline around Bad River territory within five years, an effort the company says is already underway.
More to come.