The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden is studying the impact of shutting down the Embridge Line 5 pipeline, at a time when fuel prices are up sharply.
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the Biden administration was exploring the idea.
“There is a review and we’re waiting,” she said during the daily press briefing, when questioned about the administration’s position by reporters.
Jean-Pierre first called the reports “not accurate” before admitting to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy there was a study underway about shutting down the pipeline.
“Yes we are,” she admitted, stressing that the Biden administration had not made a decision about whether or not to shut it down.
The Line 5 pipeline is the focus of green activists and tribal nations, as nearly 23 million gallons of oil a day flow through the Straits of Mackinac into the United States.
Jean-Pierre confirmed the Army Corps of Engineers was conducting an environmental impact study about shutting down the pipeline and potentially replacing it.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, ordered the pipeline to shut down, but the pipeline continues operating as the court battle over the order continues.
The Biden Administration continues working to stop existing and new oil infrastructure projects, such as the Keystone XL pipeline, even as Americans continue facing higher gas prices.