The Lead
Enbridge has rejected Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s demand to close down its Line 5 pipeline. Whitmer had revoked a 1953 Michigan easement that allowed Line 5 to be positioned alongside the underside of the Straits of Mackinac, claiming Enbridge had repeatedly violated the phrases and put the lakes in danger.
Whitmer gave the corporate till Might 12 to close it down, however Enbridge stated it plans to defy her request as a result of her data is unhealthy and she or he’s merely politically posturing.
“Our twin pipelines within the straits are secure, match for service, and in full compliance with the federal security requirements that govern them,” stated Vern Yu, Enbridge’s president of liquid pipelines .
Enbridge’s Line 5 is a part of a community of pipelines that sends oil and different fuels from Western Canada to refineries within the U.S. and Ontario. Line 5 strikes almost 23 million gallons (87 million litres) a day between Wisconsin and Ontario, crossing components of northern Michigan, as nicely. CBC Information has extra.
Internationally
A worldwide survey carried out by Airswift discovered that the pay of one-third of the employees within the oil and fuel trade was minimize in 2020, largely because of the pandemic. Jobs within the vitality sector stay among the many highest-paid on the earth, however lots of the survey’s members stated they really feel much less safe about their jobs than they did a yr in the past.
Salaries within the vitality trade are carefully tied with oil costs, which plunged final yr as a result of lockdowns all over the world brought about a drastic fall in demand.
In the meantime, a report from the analysis group Rhodium decided that U.S. carbon emissions fell by 10 per cent final yr. The biggest lower for the reason that Second World Battle is being attributed to much less coal getting used throughout the pandemic. BBC Information has the complete story.
Lastly, in accordance with Politico, the Environmental Safety Company plans to unveil a local weather rule at present that may prohibit the longer term regulation of greenhouse gases emitted by any stationary trade apart from energy crops. Many are viewing the brand new regulation as an assault on president-elect Joe Biden’s local weather agenda.
On Wednesday morning at 10:02 a.m., West Texas Intermediate was buying and selling at US$52.81 and Brent Crude was going for US$55.99.
In Canada
Alberta’s highest court docket has advised the province’s Environmental Appeals Board to broaden its public hearings. The Court docket of Enchantment of Alberta stated the appeals board ought to have listened to wider public issues earlier than permitting an energy-services firm to get rid of radioactive waste in a landfill.
In 2016, the appeals board allowed Safe Vitality Companies of Calgary to simply accept radioactive oilfield waste at its website west of Edmonton from a B.C.-based firm referred to as Normtek Radiation Companies, regardless of the risk to human and environmental well being.
“The court docket’s message is evident and robust: There’s a function for public engagement and public participation within the decision-making that takes place.” stated Shaun Fluker of the Public Curiosity Legislation Clinic on the College of Calgary.
The federal authorities is funding a brand new centre at Simon Fraser College whose aim is to assist cities throughout Metro Vancouver discover options to city local weather change and carbon air pollution. The centre might be funded by a $21.7-million authorities endowment and is certainly one of 5 throughout Canada. They’re a part of a $183-million authorities initiative referred to as Low Carbon Cities Canada.
Lastly, the Norwegian oil firm Equinor is transferring all its employees from Calgary to St. John’s, N.L., to concentrate on offshore vitality initiatives in Atlantic Canada. The corporate additionally laid off about 30 per cent of its 120-person Canadian workforce.
Canadian Crude Index was buying and selling at US$39.41 and Western Canadian Choose was going for US$40.86 this morning at 10:03 a.m.
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