Sask. minister concerned about dispute over Enbridge’s Line 5

Keeping in mind all the Saskatchewan product that runs through it, Minister of Energy and Resources Bronwyn Eyre is watching the dispute over Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline with concern.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants the line shut down over concerns about environmental safety. A deadline had been set for Wednesday morning, but the situation is in the courts now and is expected to go to mediation soon.

“This is of real impact to not only Saskatchewan workers (and) Saskatchewan producers, but workers on both sides of the border (including) for Michigan workers, Pennsylvania (and) Ohio,” Eyre explained Wednesday.

“For Saskatchewan, (the line shutting down) would have a very detrimental impact (with) terrible timing. It’s a terrible thing that it has come to this. We were told for many months to expect that this was infrastructure that was in the ground and highly unlikely, and here we are. So (it’s) not good news for Saskatchewan producers or for Canada.”

Eyre said more than 500,000 barrels of product from Western Canada go through the line per day, moving up from Superior, Wis., to Ontario and Quebec.

She explained Saskatchewan producers access Line 5 through the main line, which moves 70 per cent of Saskatchewan oil.

The Government of Canada filed an amicus brief in the court case over the line, saying shutting it down could do massive and possibly permanent harm to Canada’s economy and energy security.

Eyre said Saskatchewan has been working with the federal government on this and helped with that brief.

“If ever there was a day and a time for Team Canada, this was it,” said Eyre.

Eyre said she hadn’t been in contact with Michigan’s governor, saying with the legal and diplomatic factors involved that it’s best for it to continue as a federal matter.