Enbridge Funds Wisconsin Policing for Line 5 Reroute

Enbridge Inc., a Calgary-based energy company, has agreed to provide funding to law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin to cover costs associated with policing anticipated protests during the rerouting of its Line 5 pipeline, sparking concerns over potential conflicts of interest and corporate influence on public safety.

The agreement, announced recently, involves Enbridge contributing to a public safety escrow fund managed by the Wisconsin Counties Association. The fund aims to reimburse local agencies for expenses related to the US$450 million project, which began last month to relocate a segment of the 540,000-barrel-per-day pipeline around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation. The pipeline transports western Canadian oil and natural gas liquids across the Great Lakes and the U.S.-Canada border to Sarnia, Ontario, serving as a key supply line for refineries in Ontario and Quebec.

Enbridge described the fund as a voluntary measure to assist Wisconsin governments with additional costs from the construction, which has faced opposition from Indigenous communities due to fears of environmental risks, including potential oil spills into the Bad River watershed...