Pipeline Protests: Enbridge Line 3 and Line 5

Line 3 and Line 5 Project Details

Enbridge is a Canadian energy company that provides the most extensive system of pipelines in North America. The energy company transports oil and natural gas across most of the North American continent and has been doing so for 70 years.[i]  The Line 3 Pipeline Replacement project began in 2015 to replace 1,097 miles of pipeline that was more than 50 years old, 337 miles of which lie in northern Minnesota. The Line 5 pipeline project consists of a 645-mile pipeline segment that extends from Wisconsin to Michigan and extends into Ontario, Canada, by drilling beneath the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced Mack-i-naw), which connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.[ii] The protest concerns surrounding these two pipeline projects include the adverse effects on the watersheds, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and associated flora and fauna on land used by indigenous communities (Ojibwe) in the Great Lakes area via treaties made between Ojibwe leadership and the United States. These treaties grant easements on the land for traditional subsistence practices, including hunting, fishing, and the growing and harvesting of wild rice.[iii] Other LibGuides that may provide further information regarding indigenous environmental and ecological tradition include the Environmental Studies (ENVS) LibGuide and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) LibGuide.

 Map (A) of existing and proposed Line 3 route

Source: Herr, Alexandria. "The Line 3 pipeline protests are about much more than climate change". Grist. (2021). Accessed March 2022. https://grist.org/food/line-3-pipeline-protests-enbridge-wild-rice-treaty-rights/.

Map A shows the existing and proposed Line 3 pipeline routes through Minnesota relative to Ojibwe lands. The map also denotes the dates various parts of the state entered into treaties with the US government for land easements. 

Map (B) of Wild Rice Lakes and Rivers relative to existing and proposed Line 3 placement.

Source: Herr, Alexandria. "The Line 3 pipeline protests are about much more than climate change". Grist. (2021). Accessed March 2022. https://grist.org/food/line-3-pipeline-protests-enbridge-wild-rice-treaty-rights/.

Map B shows the amount of wild rice at risk with the new placement of Line 3.

Map (C) of existing Line 5 route.

Source: Shea, Patrick. "In Pushing for Line 5 Shutdown, Bad River Band Points to Alternative Route". Energy News Network (February 5, 2021). Republished with permission in Tribal Business News (n.d.). Accessed March 2022. https://tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/energy/13357-in-pushing-for-line-5-shutdown-bad-river-band-points-to-alternative-route.

Map C shows the existing route of Line 5, where Enbridge intends to replace the existing dual pipeline system with a single larger pipeline under the straits of Mackinac.

Need help guiding your research? 

This LibGuide seeks to answer the questions noted below.

-Where can I find project details surrounding Pipeline 3 and Pipeline 5?

-Where can I find information on the main issues surrounding the pipeline protests?

-What are the main legal implications surrounding these pipeline projects?

-Where can I find information on Enbridge oil spills?

-How is crude oil different from tar sands oil?