A court in Wisconsin has ruled in favor of the Bad River Band’s assertion that the Canadian oil giant Enbridge has been illegally operating its territory since at least 2013. This ruling comes shortly after the discovery of an oil spill near the Bad River reservation in August, 2022 and during a controversial summer in which the Tribes, along with Treaty Partners and allies, have demonstrated at numerous events aimed at stopping the Line 5 Pipeline expansion project, which runs through Wisconsin and into Michigan under the Straits of Mackinaw. The ruling does not extend as far as restricting current Enbridge activities on lands owned by the Bad River tribe.
Excerpt from article:
A federal judge has ruled Canadian energy firm Enbridge Inc. trespassed on Bad River tribal lands and profited at the tribe’s expense but stopped short of shutting down an oil and gas pipeline across the Bad River reservation.
U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled Wednesday that Enbridge was unjustly enriched by continued operation of its Line 5 pipeline on the Bad River reservation, entitling the tribe to a monetary remedy based on the company’s profits. Even so, Conley denied the tribe’s request to immediately shut down the pipeline, saying it would have “significant public and foreign policy implications.”
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