EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/3/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Landowners deserve to know more about Navigator's pipeline pause, attorney says
NPR Illinois: Developer reviews CO2 pipeline route in Iowa as Illinois hearings approach
The Center Square: In Iowa, a tale of two carbon dioxide pipelines converge
South Dakota Public Broadcasting: Summit Carbon Solutions responds to pipeline application rejection
Ethanol Producer: Facing The Challenge Of Change
News & Observer: Cooper vetoes NC legislators’ efforts on pipeline, hog farms and nuclear energy
Bridge Michigan: Enbridge: Federal review of Line 5 tunnel permit is ‘inexplicably lethargic’
Financial Post: Top Enbridge official calls for federal loan guarantee program to support Indigenous investment
KTLA: L.A. residents concerned about homeless camp on gas line
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Oil And Gas Methane Rule Enters White House Review
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Appeals court gives Connecticut win in climate fight with Exxon
The Hill: Montana appeals landmark climate change ruling in case brought by young advocates
RBN Energy: Milestone Carbon Developing Carbon-Capture Hub In West Texas’ Midland Basin
American Press: Community meeting on carbon capture project set for Nov. 7
Pro Publica: “A Setup for Disaster”: California Legislation Requiring Companies to Pay for Oil and Gas Well Cleanup in Limbo
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Is carbon removal critical to save the planet, or just hot air?
Washington Post: UAE touts climate commitments from oil companies before COP28
Bloomberg: Oil Latest: Industry Is Part of Energy Change, Executives Say
OPINION
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Grant counties wary of pipelines local control
Ashland Daily Press: Enbridge seeks Line 5 solution
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Landowners deserve to know more about Navigator's pipeline pause, attorney says
Donnelle Eller, 10/2/23
“Iowa landowners in the path of Navigator CO2 Ventures' proposed carbon capture pipeline deserve to know more about the project's prospects after the Omaha-based company announced it wants to pause the $3.5 billion effort, according to a motion filed Monday,” the Des Moines Register reports. "The landowners impacted by Navigator’s project, the public, and for that matter, the (Iowa Utilities) Board, deserve to know the facts surrounding the status of the Navigator project," Wallace Taylor, an attorney for the Iowa Sierra Club, said in a motion to turn Navigator's scheduled procedural hearing on Oct. 9 into a status hearing on the project. Navigator filed a motion Friday requesting the Iowa Utilities Board pause its request to build an 800-mile pipeline across Iowa to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol, fertilizer and other industrial ag plants, liquefy it under pressure and pump it via the pipeline to Illinois, where it would be sequestered deep underground… “While agreeing Navigator should cancel its Oct. 9 procedural hearing, the Sierra Club's Taylor said "Navigator has been less than transparent" about the project. Taylor said "there are some indications that Navigator" could be dropping a portion of its proposed project in South Dakota and in northwest Iowa… “In his motion, Taylor also said Navigator has failed to "clearly set forth" its permitting status in Illinois… "The board claims that actions in other states are not relevant to the process in Iowa," Taylor wrote, "but it seems clear from Navigator’s own admission in its withdrawal that the status of the project in Iowa is dependent on actions in South Dakota and Illinois."
NPR Illinois: Developer reviews CO2 pipeline route in Iowa as Illinois hearings approach
Michelle O'Neill, Sean Crawford, 10/2/23
“A controversial CO2 pipeline project, which is planned for part of central Illinois, is being put on a temporary hold in Iowa,” NPR Illinois reports. “...Navigator's $3.4 billion project would transport CO2 from ethanol and fertilizer plants from Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and Illinois to sites in Christian and Montgomery counties, where it would be pumped and stored far underground, a process known as sequestration… “But critics worry about environmental contamination, including pipeline leaks. In asking the Iowa regulators to "pause" its application, Navigator says it's reviewing the proposed pipeline route in Iowa. And it wants to wait for a decision next winter on its permit application before the Illinois Commerce Commission. If approved, that could allow for eminent domain for pipeline construction in places where landowners won't provide easements. The Illinois agency will hold evidentiary hearings on the Heartland Greenway proposal October 17th through the 19th in Springfield. A decision could come early next year.”
The Center Square: In Iowa, a tale of two carbon dioxide pipelines converge
Kim Jarrett, 10/2/23
“As the hearing for one carbon dioxide pipeline goes into its seventh week on Tuesday, hearings for a second one won't happen for now at least,” The Center Square reports. “The Iowa Utilities Board will continue to hear from residents in the path of a proposed pipeline from Summit Carbon Solutions. A company representing a second CO2 pipeline asked the Iowa Utilities Board to cancel hearings on its proposed 1,300-mile pipeline that would also run through Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota… “Nebraska-based attorney Brian Jorde of Domina Law Group represents hundreds of residents affected by the pipelines. He told The Center Square he expects the Iowa hearings on the Summit pipeline to go past this week. "There are more miles in Iowa, more affected people in Iowa, so consequently the pool of people that are outraged is larger and therefore more people that want to testify," Jorde told The Center Square.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting: Summit Carbon Solutions responds to pipeline application rejection
Lori Walsh, Ari Jungemann, Ellen Koester, 10/2/23
“The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission denied Summit Carbon Solutions' permit for a carbon capture pipeline. But the project, and the debate surrounding it, is far from over,” according to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. “Lee Blank, CEO of Summit, and James Powell, COO of Summit, give us an update on the $5.5 billion project. They discuss how the company's pathway to production changed and what they want South Dakota landowners in the path of the pipeline to know.”
Ethanol Producer: Facing The Challenge Of Change
KATIE SCHROEDER, 9/11/23
“Bruce Rastetter, CEO of Summit Agricultural Group, has deep roots in the Midwest and the ag industry. With a background in farming and ethanol production, both domestically and abroad, Rastetter has a resume like few others,” according to Ethanol Producer. “He shares his story with Ethanol Producer Magazine, covering his experience in agriculture and ethanol along with his recent endeavors into carbon capture and sequestration as well as sustainable aviation fuel… “Throughout his years as an entrepreneur, Rastetter has developed some key principles by which he makes investment decisions. One of those principles is having partners with integrity and sound business practices… “This pipeline would give ethanol producers “line of sight” on net-zero or ultra-low-carbon ethanol, allowing the industry to have a lower carbon footprint than electric vehicles. “They won’t be able to do that if the pipeline doesn’t go in the ground. But if we do, we have a whole new world that could get opportunities for agriculture and biofuels,” Rastetter told EP. “And that, in my mind, [will be] really transformative by creating generational wealth in rural America, and you know, frankly that’s what we care about.” Rastetter explains that Summit wanted to have a variety of plants across the pipeline footprint as well as diversity in the sizes of different facilities. “I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever done in my life that will be more transformative to ag than this,” Rastetter told EP… “The CCS pipeline could usher in a “golden era” of agriculture, Rastetter believes. With lower carbon ethanol, there is more potential for the ethanol industry to make SAF, which would make it possible for the ethanol industry’s growth to accelerate and benefit farmers… “He is concerned that if change is not accepted, U.S. agriculture will be left behind international competitors… “Although Rastetter believes the Summit Carbon pipeline will help the environment, he sees access to new markets as equally important… “We don’t have to return to the days of setting ground aside or thinking we all have to go [to] electric vehicles, that’s crazy.”
News & Observer: Cooper vetoes NC legislators’ efforts on pipeline, hog farms and nuclear energy
ADAM WAGNER, 10/2/23
“Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday vetoed a pair of bills that would make it easier for a controversial pipeline project to obtain key permits and boost nuclear energy in the state,” the News & Observer reports. “Cooper vetoed House Bill 600, the Regulatory Reform Act, which includes provisions that would help MVP Southgate attain water quality certifications that N.C. Department of Environmental Quality regulators previously denied, as well as a law that may limit how DEQ reviews hog farm permits. In his veto message for House Bill 600, Cooper wrote, “This bill is a hodgepodge of bad provisions that will result in dirtier water, discriminatory permitting and threats to North Carolina’s environment… “Republicans hold supermajorities in both the House and the Senate, allowing them to override vetoes without any cooperation from Democrats… “In response to Monday’s veto, Republican sponsors of House Bill 600 said the legislation represents “a common sense” measure. “House Bill 600 is a good-faith effort to help reduce the regulatory burden on North Carolinians and their businesses. I am disappointed that Governor Cooper has sided with radical, environmentalist, job crushing bureaucrats over the people of North Carolina,” Rep. Jeff Zenger, a Lewisville Republican, told the News & Observer. Environmental groups celebrated Cooper’s veto of the regulatory reform act Monday afternoon. In a statement, Grady McCallie, the N.C. Conservation Network’s policy director, told the News & Observer, “The governor’s veto of HB 600 is welcome, and we urge every lawmaker to uphold it. This bill is a grab bag full of gifts for special interests that will degrade the environment and threaten public health in our state.” “...We thank Governor Cooper for taking a stand against this legislation which protects industry over people. By vetoing this bill, Governor Cooper demonstrates his continued commitment to a healthy environment and a clean energy economy that will bring jobs while protecting our state’s most vulnerable citizens,” Cynthia Satterfield, the Sierra Club’s North Carolina chapter director, told the News & Observer.”
Bridge Michigan: Enbridge: Federal review of Line 5 tunnel permit is ‘inexplicably lethargic’
Kelly House, 10/2/23
“Complaining that federal regulators are unreasonably delaying a key permit for the Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac, Enbridge Energy has asked a state oversight panel for help,” Bridge Michigan reports. “The request came Monday during a meeting of the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority, a trio of state appointees tasked with overseeing Enbridge’s project to replace the lake bottom segment of the 70-year-old pipeline with a new segment encased in an underground tunnel… “We applied for what we thought in all circumstances would be both robust and expeditious permit processes,” said Tom Schwartz, Enbridge’s senior vice president of strategic projects and partnerships. “The … process has not met those expectations.” Enbridge officials said they are at loggerheads with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over how long it should take to approve or deny federal permits the company needs to start building the tunnel. In an Aug. 18 letter to the tunnel authority, Enbridge complained of an “inexplicably lethargic” permit review… “During Monday’s meeting, Schwartz suggested that anti-pipeline public comments may be influencing the Corps’ timeline. But Ryan Mitchell, the Michigan Department of Transportation contact for the tunnel project, said Corps officials have cited “a large volume of work” as the reason for the years-long permit review… “Line 5 opponents panned Enbridge’s complaints as an attempt to avoid accountability for the tunnel project’s possible risks. “When you're talking about drilling through the most sensitive spot in the Great Lakes for an oil spill, you really ought to be taking a very thorough look,” Sean McBrearty, coordinator of the anti-Line 5 coalition Oil & Water Don’t Mix, told Bridge. “Enbridge doesn't get to decide what the Army Corps’ timeline looks like in an effort to avoid accountability.” Enbridge contends that the Corps has missed several milestones by months, making it questionable whether the 2026 deadline will be met.”
Financial Post: Top Enbridge official calls for federal loan guarantee program to support Indigenous investment
Naimul Karim, 10/2/23
“A senior Enbridge Inc. executive has urged the need to create a federal loan guarantee program for Indigenous groups, saying that such a move could help build better partnerships between them and the private sector,” the Financial Post reports. “Cynthia Hansen, executive vice-president responsible for Enbridge’s natural gas pipeline and midstream business across North America, said most Indigenous groups did not have access to capital due to the absence of loan guarantees from the government, which prevents them from acquiring equity in projects that are often operated on their traditional lands. “It’s not enough to consult with Indigenous groups,” the Texas-based executive said at an event in Toronto last week. “Empowering Indigenous nations as equity investors in projects with the private sector is material to the Canadian economy.” About a year ago, Enbridge inked an agreement with 23 First Nation and Métis communities to sell an 11.57 per cent interest in seven pipelines located in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta for $1.12 billion. The pipeline company said the deal was the largest energy-related partnership with Indigenous groups in North America. That deal was possible due to a $250-million equity loan backed by a guarantee from Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corp., which offers financing to Indigenous communities seeking commercial partnerships and a mix of other financing supports. These “creative” methods to get financial support aren’t enough, according to Hansen. She said Ottawa should formulate a national approach to allow communities to choose what they want to invest in. Associations such as the First Nations Major Project Coalition, which represents more than 130 Indigenous groups, have been pushing for a loan guarantee program. They say their traditional lands will play a key role as Canada looks to boost its energy supply amidst the global race to transition away from fossil fuels. As part of Enbridge’s Indigenous reconciliation action plan, the company is looking at a “suite” of options to partner with First Nations, which include both existing and new projects, and not just in fossil fuels, Hansen said For example, she said Enbridge recently partnered with five Indigenous communities in a carbon-capture and sequestration project near Edmonton. But she said that some partnerships have constraints based on capital markets.”
KTLA: L.A. residents concerned about homeless camp on gas line
Myja Gary, Chris Wolfe, 10/2/23
“Studio City residents are concerned after a homeless person set up a makeshift dwelling on the embankment of the Los Angeles River on top of a high pressure natural gas pipeline,” KTLA reports. “On Monday, SoCal Gas was notified of a homeless encampment near a natural gas pipeline near Moorpark street and Radford avenue. Residents say they’ve continually contacted authorities and utility companies, with no success. “I’ve already thought a million times that this whole street is just gonna go Kaboom!” Cody Brainard who lives in the area told KTLA… “SoCalGas staff were sent out immediately to assess the site and verify if the natural gas pipeline is active. The company also notified Councilmember Raman’s Homelessness Deputy about the situation, and they will attempt to contact the inhabitants of the encampment.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Oil And Gas Methane Rule Enters White House Review
Jean Chemnick, 9/29/23
“EPA’s final rule to curb methane from oil and natural gas began White House review Thursday, according to a website maintained by the Office of Management and Budget,” E&E News reports. “The standard is expected to cover a broad swath of the oil and gas supply chain and would regulate pre-2015 operations for the first time. The Environmental Defense Fund says those are responsible for 85 percent of the sector’s leakage of methane — a climate pollutant that is far more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. The rule will set standards for how frequently firms must inspect their operations for leaks. It will also limit flaring of gas at oil wells, create a role for third-party monitoring of facilities, and mandate the use of equipment to prevent gas from being leaked into the atmosphere. The rule is a key part of the Biden administration’s climate agenda. It could also be the administration’s primary new domestic policy offering in November when nations gather in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the next round of global climate talks. But interagency reviews for complex rules typically take at least two months to complete, making a looming government shutdown a potential barrier to the rule being ready in time for the conference.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Appeals court gives Connecticut win in climate fight with Exxon
Lesley Clark, 9/28/23
“A climate lawsuit against Exxon Mobil isn’t about extracting fossil fuels but about “talking about what happens to the environment when they are burned,” an appeals court says,” E&E News reports.
The Hill: Montana appeals landmark climate change ruling in case brought by young advocates
ZACK BUDRYK, 10/2/23
“The state of Montana is set to appeal a landmark state court ruling that sided with youth climate activists who sued the state for contributing to climate change,” The Hill reports. “Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s (R) office filed a notice of appeal Friday in the case Held v. Montana, which was decided by District Court Judge Kathy Seeley in August. A coalition of youth climate activists sued the state over a 2023 statute that exempted fossil fuel permitting from consideration of greenhouse gas output. Plaintiffs argued — and Seeley agreed — this violated their right under the Montana constitution to a “clean and healthful environment.” “We look forward to the argument before the Montana Supreme Court,” a spokesperson for Knudsen’s office told The Hill in an email… “We anticipated that the state of Montana would appeal the historic ruling in Held v. State of Montana and are fully prepared to present the youth plaintiffs’ case before the Montana Supreme Court,” Nate Bellinger, senior staff attorney for Our Children’s Trust, which represented the plaintiffs, told The Hill in a statement. “The trial record that will be reviewed by the Supreme Court contains undisputed evidence of harms to the 16 youth Plaintiffs as a result of defendants’ fossil fuel policies, and we are confident that the Supreme Court will affirm the District Court’s Order once it reviews the evidence in the record.”
RBN Energy: Milestone Carbon Developing Carbon-Capture Hub In West Texas’ Midland Basin
Jason Lindquist, 10/2/23
“A sequestration hub capable of storing 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) is being planned for the Midland Basin in West Texas, hub developer Milestone Carbon said in an announcement,” RBN Energy reports. “Milestone said it has acquired the rights to 10,000 acres of land and pore space in Upton and Midland counties for the project. Milestone recently received a Class II injection well permit from the Texas Railroad Commission, which will allow for the sequestration of CO2 from local natural gas processors. Class II injection wells are used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Depending on the timing of infrastructure buildout and commercial arrangements with emitters, CO2 injections could begin as early as 2025, the company said, which would make the Midland Basin project among the first active carbon capture and storage (CCS) sites for permanent carbon sequestration in Texas. The company has also submitted a permit application for a Class VI injection well to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which controls permitting for those wells. Class VI wells, which are required for deep geologic sequestration, would increase the hub’s potential to inject CO2 from other industrial sources, supporting the decarbonization efforts of existing and planned facilities in the Permian Basin, the company said.”
American Press: Community meeting on carbon capture project set for Nov. 7
Rita Lebleu, 10/2/23
“Project Cypress, the organization working towards the creation of Direct Air Capture Hub in Southwest Louisiana, in collaboration with the Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations is hosting a community meeting Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the West Cal Arena & Events Center Magnolia Room, 5:30-7:30 p.m.,” the American Press reports. “(This meeting was originally scheduled for Sept. 19 and postponed due to local feedback.) The U.S. Department of Energy (Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is catalyzing the equitable transition to a clean energy economy by investing in critical clean energy technologies in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment and market adoption. On Aug. 11, 2023, OCED announced two projects selected for award negotiations to establish Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs, including Project Cypress in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. DOE and each selectee will first negotiate a cooperative agreement, and any DOE funding would be provided only after negotiations are complete and DOE’s Contracting Officer executes the funding agreement. OCED is co-hosting an in-person community briefing to share more details about the process and Project Cypress, and to hear feedback and questions from local stakeholders.”
Pro Publica: “A Setup for Disaster”: California Legislation Requiring Companies to Pay for Oil and Gas Well Cleanup in Limbo
Mark Olalde, 10/2/23
“The California Legislature recently passed a bill that would provide the state’s taxpayers some of the strongest protections in the nation against having to pay for the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has not indicated if he will sign it,” Pro Publica reports. “AB1167 would require companies that purchase idle or low-producing wells — those at high risk of being left to the state — to set aside enough money to cover the entire cost of cleanup. Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, a Los Angeles Democrat who authored the bill with the support of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environment California, said it’s needed to “stem the tide” of orphaned wells. Newsom has until Oct. 14 to make a decision. A spokesperson declined to comment, saying the governor would evaluate the bill “on its merits.” The state’s Department of Finance released a two-page analysis opposing it… “The bill follows ProPublica’s reporting on the exodus of oil majors from the state’s declining industry — one sale last year saw more than 23,000 wells move from Shell and ExxonMobil to a little-known German asset management group called IKAV — and on the multibillion-dollar cost to clean up the industry. ProPublica’s work was repeatedly cited by the Legislature and the bill’s supporters.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Is carbon removal critical to save the planet, or just hot air?
Mark Hillsdon, 10/2/23
“When an obscure but important technical working group from the U.N. issued a briefing note in May, it sent an ice-cold blast across the bows of the carbon removal sector,” Reuters reports. “In the midst of their work researching a new global carbon trading system, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) group seemed to rule out a role for technologies such as direct air capture (DAC) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) labelling them as: “Technologically and economically unproven, especially at scale, and pose unknown environmental and social risks.” The scientific community drew breath. There has since been damming criticism from others, such as Jonathan Foley, executive director of climate solutions specialist Project Drawdown, who has written that “industrial carbon removal is wildly expensive, far too energy- and resource-intensive, and only removes pathetically small amounts of carbon”. Detractors also argue that the billions of dollars being spent on so-called “technofixes” should be channelled into existing, less expensive and proven solutions such as renewables, energy efficiency and planting trees. There are also questions about whether the technology can scale in time to make a difference and suggestions that elements could infringe human rights, as land currently used for food is turned over to growing fuel to be burned as biomass… “Comparisons with the often-discredited market for carbon credits are hard to avoid, which has been beset with reports of companies buying up so-called “phantom credits”, or worse, credits that ultimately did more harm than good.”
Washington Post: UAE touts climate commitments from oil companies before COP28
Maxine Joselow, 10/3/23
“Sultan al-Jaber, the oil industry executive leading the next U.N. Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates this fall, said yesterday that more than 20 oil and gas companies have committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, Jon Gambrell reports for the Associated Press,” according to the Washington Post. “Al-Jaber said the companies have also pledged to eliminate routine gas flaring by 2030, and more firms are expected to join the commitment before the COP28 climate talks. He did not identify the participating firms or offer any additional details, such as whether the companies will rely on carbon capture technology or whether they will phase out fossil fuel production, the main driver of global warming… “The UAE and al-Jaber have faced sharp criticism from climate activists over the nation’s status as a major oil producer and his position as CEO of the state-run Abu Dhabi Oil. “For too long, this industry has been viewed as part of the problem, that it’s not doing enough and in some cases even blocking progress,” al-Jaber said in remarks at the event. “This is your opportunity to show the world that, in fact, you are central to the solution.”
Bloomberg: Oil Latest: Industry Is Part of Energy Change, Executives Say
Anthony Di Paola and Salma El Wardany, 10/1/23
“Ministers and oil industry chiefs are gathering for the biggest energy conference in the Middle East as crude heads toward $100 a barrel,” Bloomberg reports. “...But this year, climate is looming large over the forum. Delegates at the annual Adipec summit in Abu Dhabi, which has been dominated by oil in its long-running history, will devote a lot of their time to the energy transition… “Chief executive officers of Shell Plc, TotalEnergies SE and Occidental Petroleum Corp., among others, will later Monday discuss plans for the energy transition. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei and OPEC Secretary-General Haitham al-Ghais are also scheduled to speak.”
OPINION
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Grant counties wary of pipelines local control
Staff Editorial, 9/20/23
“Opponents of Summit Carbon Solutions planned 700-mile carbon capture pipeline process believe they may have found a new way local governments to restrict the project,” according to a Cedar Rapids Gazette Staff Editorial. “Local governments have been unsuccessful in efforts to restrict the pipeline itself, which captures CO2 from 13 Iowa ethanol plants and transports it to North Dakota for deep underground storage. Although regulators in South Dakota and North Dakota have rejected Summit’s initial applications. But what if local officials could deny building permits for the carbon capture facilities built at ethanol plants. Hardin County Attorney Darrell Meyer recently filed a motion with the Iowa Utilities Board asking whether capture facilities are separate from the pipeline itself, making it subject to local permitting. We have our doubts the utilities board will see it Meyer’s way, but we hope he succeeds. Not only because we believe local residents should have more say over their health, safety, land and livelihoods, but also because we’re tired of watching the state grab more and more power away from local governments… “The carbon pipeline is yet another instance when large agribusiness interests likely will get their way despite the strong objections of landowners and others. Money talks, but the voices of Iowans and their local elected officials are not heard.”
Ashland Daily Press: Enbridge seeks Line 5 solution
Jerrid Anderson, Midwest region director, Enbridge Energy Co., 10/2/23
“On Sept. 18, the government of Canada filed a legal brief in support of Enbridge’s recent appeal opposing the U.S. district court’s order requiring the shutdown of 2.3 miles of the Line 5 pipeline on the Bad River Reservation by June 2026,” Jerrid Anderson writes for the Ashland Daily Press. “...The brief states that a shutdown would cause grave harm to North American energy security, violate Canada’s rights under the 1977 treaty, and usurp the ongoing treaty dispute-resolution process between the governments of Canada and the United States… “Enbridge has proposed over a dozen different projects to address riverbank erosion concerns on the Bad River near Line 5, but the band’s leadership has been unwilling to work in good faith with Enbridge, and continues to oppose the Line 5 relocation, a solution that removes the line from the reservation while preserving energy security for millions. Briefs in support of Enbridge’s appeal were also filed by the by North America’s Building Trades Unions and the United Steelworkers, CFL-CIO-CLC; the Michigan Propane Gas Association, the National Propane Gas Association and the Wisconsin Gas Association; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce; and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, Petroleum Institute, and Liquid Energy Pipeline Association. We remain open to discussion with the Bad River Band and a negotiated resolution of all issues.”