Staff Reports
A federal judge appointed by Barack Obama has ordered an oil pipeline company, Enbridge, which operates the Line 5 pipeline, to shut down the pipeline. The Line 5 pipeline crosses the tribal land of Wisconsin’s Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The tribe considers the pipeline hazardous due to its proximity to the Bad River bank and water, just 15 feet away. Although the request for an immediate shutdown of the pipeline was rejected, the judge ordered for the pipeline to close within three years. Enbridge has had ten years to create an alternative bypass for Line 5, but the company failed to do so. Enbridge now plans to appeal the decision.
A federal judge has ordered a Canadian oil firm to shut down a section of its pipeline in Wisconsin that crosses tribal land, a partial victory for indigenous groups that have opposed the project. https://t.co/jRKTZqUwFx
— The Hill (@thehill) June 19, 2023
This ruling could have a major impact on the nation’s energy industry, no matter the appeals. The democrat-appointed judge’s decision shows that environmental interests and tribal concerns take precedence over energy needs. President Biden and the left-wing bureaucracy are tirelessly working to find ways of shutting down pipelines and limiting America’s ability to produce its own oil, gas, and other natural resources. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning, and this decision sets a dangerous precedent for the future. Letting tribal land disputes limit energy production is not beneficial to anyone in the long term. It is time for conservatives to take action to support American energy independence and sovereignty.
