June 22 – U.S. and Canadian officials are holding biweekly meetings to discuss the potential closure of Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac and the ramifications of the shutdown in the context of a 1977 treaty between the two governments. It’s not clear whether the state of Michigan has been a party to those
discussions.
The government of Canada in a Monday court filing affirmed its discussions with the U.S. government after the state of Michigan earlier this month questioned the
seriousness of Canada’s intent to invoke the treaty.
“While there have apparently been communications between officials of each government, there is no evidence that negotiations under the treaty itself are in progress,”
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office wrote in a June 2 filing. The filing referenced a Detroit News article in which a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said the countries were “not engaged in any formal treaty negotiations.” Detroit News / Read more