Line 5 ACTION ALERT: Tell Canadian Ministers to Stop Misusing the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty

From: Cross Border Organizing Working Group of the Line 5 Coalition
Posted on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative
Shared here with permission

During the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference in Montreal last December, Indigenous communities protest against Enbridge, the company owning Line 5. (File photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble of the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative)

The Cross Border Organizing Working Group of the Line 5 Coalition is an international group of activists and Indigenous leaders working to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5. We have drafted a letter to key Canadian Ministers asking them to stop misusing a 1977 treaty in order to keep a decrepit pipeline in service.

Canada has formally invoked Article Six of the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty twice to keep the 70-year-old Line 5 operating. First on October 4, 2021, in response to Michigan Governor Whitmer’s order to shut the pipeline down after a ship’s anchor strike causing significant risk to the Straits of Mackinac. They did so a second time on August 29, 2022, when the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa discovered serious erosion beneath the pipeline leaving it unsupported, and at significant risk of failure with the next severe weather event.

We intend to deliver the letter on April 24, the day after Line 5 turns 70 years old, 20 years past its planned life expectancy.

Please join us in asking the Canadian government to stop impeding the efforts to uphold the inherent rights of the Indigenous Nations of the Great Lakes while honoring all of the treaties with Indigenous Nations north and south of the border that predate and supersede the 1977 pipeline treaty. You can sign on to the letter as an organization or as an individual HERE or CLICK HERE to read a copy of the letter and sign it on the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative Web site.

Houghton County Commission passes 2nd Amendment resolution

By Jennifer Donovan
Posted on Copper Beacon April 14, 2023
Reprinted in part here with permission

The Houghton County Circuit Courtroom, filled to standing-room only on April 11, 2023. (Photo by Juxta Sprague and courtesy Copper Beacon. Reprinted with permission.)

Three years ago, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners debated and ultimately voted 3 to 2 against a Second Amendment Sanctuary County resolution. At its meeting on April 11, the board considered a new, revised resolution and passed it 4 to 1.

The new resolution does not mention the words "sanctuary county."

The new resolution affirms support of "all constitutional rights, including, but not limited to, the right of the people to keep and bear arms." It also calls for adequate funding of mental health services.... CLICK HERE to read the rest of this April 14, 2023, article in the News section of Copper Beacon.

Western UP Health Department warns of potential health hazards from contact with contaminated floodwaters

BARAGA, GOGEBIC, HOUGHTON, KEWEENAW, and ONTONAGON counties -- The Western UP Health Department (WUPHD) encourages all district residents to avoid contact with any floodwaters. Floodwaters may contain sewage or other contaminants that may be harmful to public health.

"Warm weather and fast snow melt have resulted in municipal combined sewer systems discharging to surface water in many of our communities," said Kate Beer, Health Officer at WUPHD. "Where floodwater contains sewage, the potential for infectious disease is of concern."

Combined sewer systems are common across the area and are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial waste water in the same network of pipes. Heavy rainfall and a fast spring snowmelt frequently result in an overflow to the surface.

WUPHD is advising the public to avoid all contact with floodwater and surface water during the spring snowmelt period. Children should be discouraged from playing in floodwater. Always wash hands with soap and water after contact with floodwater or after cleanup of flood-affected material.

The WUPHD urges all homeowners with flooded basements to use caution during clean up. Use rubber gloves and boots. Throw out food that may have been in contact with floodwater.

Homeowners that live on a property that has a well should inspect the well for evidence of having been under floodwater. If it has been under floodwater, it should be tested for contamination or disinfected before use. Testing and disinfection instructions are available on the health department website at www.wupdhd.org/water-supply-program/.

If you have questions or concerns, contact the WUPHD at (906) 482-7382 or visit their website at www.wuphd.org.

Editor's Note: See also the April 14, 2023, Copper Beacon article, "Flooding causes local state of emergency," by Joshua Vissers, with photos from Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Van Arsdale.