Alexander Panetta
© Carlos Osorio/The Associated Press The Mackinac Bridge that spans Michigan's Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is seen in July 2002. The U.S. government said Monday that it is waiting for a full environmental review from the Army…
This item is part of Watching Washington, a regular dispatch from CBC News correspondents reporting on U.S. politics and developments that affect Canadians.
What's new
The White House said Monday that it's awaiting a full environmental review before making any decisions on the disputed Line 5 oil pipeline from Canada.
That could take a while.
At a press briefing Monday, a spokesperson for U.S. President Joe Biden was asked whether the White House was considering shutting down the pipeline.
Karine Jean-Pierre denied that any decision has been made. "That is inaccurate. That is not right," she said, before clarifying that the project was undergoing a full environmental review through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, announced months ago.
She then twice indicated that any decisions on the fate of the route would be guided by the results of that review. "We're waiting," she said. "There is a review and we're waiting."
"The [environmental impact statement] will help inform any additional action or position the U.S. will be taking on the replacement of Line 5."
What's the context
At issue is an old pipeline carrying 540,000 barrels per day of oil and other petroleum fuels from Canada, across the Great Lakes, then into Michigan, and finally into Ontario as a major fuel source for Eastern Canada.
The Michigan government has ordered the pipeline shut down, prompting a legal fight and court-ordered mediation. After Michigan moved to end mediation talks in September, Canada invoked a 1977 treaty between Canada and the U.S. limiting either country's ability to impede a cross-border pipeline.
The issue presents a political conundrum for Biden.
On the one hand, environmentalists and the president's allies in Michigan, a critical presidential swing state, want the pipeline shut down amid fear of potential damage to the Great Lakes.
On the other hand, he faces pressure to keep the fuel flowing. That pressure comes not only from Canada, but from domestic critics as well, as fuel prices have surged.
The context for Monday's exchange at the White House was a weekend interview where Biden's energy secretary acknowledged that home heating prices will be higher this winter.
Given that reality of rising energy prices, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked at the White House briefing why the president is considering closing another pipeline from Canada.
The pipeline company, Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., is applying to build a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, the narrow passageway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, to house an updated version of its pipeline.
That's the project being evaluated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The issue has already become fodder in American partisan politics: the Republican Party tweeted out video of the exchange at the White House and prepared to hold Democrats responsible for higher energy costs.
This item is part of Watching Washington, a regular dispatch from CBC News correspondents reporting on U.S. politics and developments that affect Canadians.
What's new
The White House said Monday that it's awaiting a full environmental review before making any decisions on the disputed Line 5 oil pipeline from Canada.
That could take a while.
At a press briefing Monday, a spokesperson for U.S. President Joe Biden was asked whether the White House was considering shutting down the pipeline.
Karine Jean-Pierre denied that any decision has been made. "That is inaccurate. That is not right," she said, before clarifying that the project was undergoing a full environmental review through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, announced months ago.
She then twice indicated that any decisions on the fate of the route would be guided by the results of that review. "We're waiting," she said. "There is a review and we're waiting."
"The [environmental impact statement] will help inform any additional action or position the U.S. will be taking on the replacement of Line 5."
What's the context
At issue is an old pipeline carrying 540,000 barrels per day of oil and other petroleum fuels from Canada, across the Great Lakes, then into Michigan, and finally into Ontario as a major fuel source for Eastern Canada.
The Michigan government has ordered the pipeline shut down, prompting a legal fight and court-ordered mediation. After Michigan moved to end mediation talks in September, Canada invoked a 1977 treaty between Canada and the U.S. limiting either country's ability to impede a cross-border pipeline.
The issue presents a political conundrum for Biden.
On the one hand, environmentalists and the president's allies in Michigan, a critical presidential swing state, want the pipeline shut down amid fear of potential damage to the Great Lakes.
On the other hand, he faces pressure to keep the fuel flowing. That pressure comes not only from Canada, but from domestic critics as well, as fuel prices have surged.
The context for Monday's exchange at the White House was a weekend interview where Biden's energy secretary acknowledged that home heating prices will be higher this winter.
Given that reality of rising energy prices, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked at the White House briefing why the president is considering closing another pipeline from Canada.
The pipeline company, Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., is applying to build a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, the narrow passageway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, to house an updated version of its pipeline.
That's the project being evaluated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The issue has already become fodder in American partisan politics: the Republican Party tweeted out video of the exchange at the White House and prepared to hold Democrats responsible for higher energy costs.
What's next
Monday's comments suggest the issue won't be resolved anytime soon.
A spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers said an evaluation like this generally takes two years: first there is a preliminary phase, then a main phase of the work, then a draft environmental impact statement, which is followed by a final environmental impact statement, and ultimately a decision on a permit.
The review has just begun and is in its preliminary phase said William R. Dowell.
"From start to finish — [it's] about two years long. The process varies — but that's the approximate length of time it takes."
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