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As President Trump’s term comes to a close, oil and gas companies are scrambling to fast-track pipeline construction across North America, bracing for potential crackdowns under the incoming Biden administration. This rush has sparked a growing wave of protests across the country, led by climate and Indigenous activists who are making it clear to oil companies, lawmakers and the Biden administration that they won’t back down in their fight to defend vital natural resources from exploitation.
Two of the most contentious pipeline projects fueling environmental backlash are Enbridge’s Line 3 and Line 5 – initiatives by North America’s largest pipeline developer. The Line 5 project, set to begin construction in Michigan last month, was halted by an executive order from Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who pointed to an “unreasonable risk” to the Great Lakes and accused Enbridge of ongoing negligence as justification for shutting it down.
“Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs,” Whitmer said in a statement, adding that Enbridge's repeated violation of its terms of operation and neglect of structural problems could result in a devastating, large-scale oil spill.
In addition to filing a lawsuit challenging Whitmer’s order, Enbridge had announced that it is moving forward with construction of its Line 3 project in Minnesota. This move had sparked protests by climate activists and indigenous communities who stand to suffer the brunt of the environmental hazards posed by the pipeline. Protesters are now targeting the state agencies that caved to pressure by Enbridge and granted the oil giant a series of controversial permits to commence construction. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) saw 12 of its members resign in protest of its decision to give a green light to the project.
In a letter to the agency, the resigning members stated that “This project is a clear violation of environmental justice, causing significant trauma to the Anishinaabe people,” and accused the agency of waging a “war on Black and brown people.”
According to Truthout, activists opposing the Line 3 pipeline have observed the Hubbard County police department, in the area where construction is set to begin, preparing as if for a battle. “Here we see Enbridge delivering bolt cutters, saws, blowtorches, etc. directly to the Hubbard County Sheriff’s office,” reads the description of pictures in a Facebook post by Tara Houska, a lawyer and founder of the Giniw Collective, an indigenous women-led resistance group.
In an interview with Truthout, Houska called out state agencies and Minnesota governor Tim Walz, stating that “[I]t turns out they are apparently not as brave as Governor Whitmer over in Michigan and are willing to put our children’s futures on the line to allow a Canadian corporation to do as it wishes and to suppress the rights of our citizens.”
Pipeline construction projects in other parts of the country, from Tennessee to Virginia, have faced similar resistance from environmentalists. While lawsuits aiming to halt these projects and hold government agencies accountable for enabling environmental and human rights violations make their way through the courts, activists on the ground are putting their own bodies on the line to stop land clearing and other preparatory construction activities.
In Virginia, protesters have staged an aerial barrier through “tree-sits” in order to stop developers from clearing a forest area slated for the construction of the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline. Activists have refused to disperse despite a court order threatening them with a fine of $500 a day per person.
Many environmentalists remain optimistic that the Biden administration will usher in stricter regulations on oil and gas companies, fulfilling the president-elect's promise to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline and, ideally, other major pipeline projects.
However, a closer look at Biden’s emerging cabinet - marked by notable connections to the fossil fuel industry - and the intense lobbying from a Canadian government eager to push through lucrative pipeline ventures fuel concerns among climate and Indigenous activists. They fear the new administration may prioritise industry interests over environmental and human rights. In this context, sustained resistance and public pressure - both through legal channels and on the ground - are more crucial than ever.
Image by Johannes Rupf
