Presidential Memorandum April 15, 2026

Presidential Permit: Authorizing Enbridge Pipelines (Southern Lights) L.L.C. to Operate and Maintain Existing Pipeline Facilities at Pembina County, North Dakota, at the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada

Energy Trade Infrastructure Foreign Policy

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In Simple Terms

This action lets Enbridge keep running and caring for an existing pipeline that crosses the U.S.-Canada border in North Dakota to move oil and fuel. It replaces an older permit and says the company still must follow all safety, legal, and inspection rules.

Summary

President Donald J. Trump issued this Presidential permit to authorize Enbridge Pipelines (Southern Lights) L.L.C. to continue operating and maintaining an existing cross-border pipeline facility at Neche in Pembina County, North Dakota, where it connects the United States and Canada. The permit covers the existing 20-inch pipeline and allows it to transport crude oil and a wide range of petroleum products across the border, while replacing and revoking the earlier permit issued in 2008. It also makes clear that the pipeline remains subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, inspections, safety rules, and any required permits. The order sets conditions for ownership changes, reporting, maintenance, possible removal if the permit ends, and possible federal control of the facilities if needed for national security.

Official Record

Awaiting Federal Register

Published on WhiteHouse.gov

View on WhiteHouse.gov

April 15, 2026

Pending Federal Register publication

Analysis & Impact

💡 How This May Affect You

Working families may see slightly steadier fuel supplies; local communities still face spill and maintenance disruption risks.
Small businesses, especially fuel users and local contractors, could benefit from reliable petroleum transport and some maintenance work.
Students and recent graduates may see limited direct effects, aside from some technical, trades, and compliance job opportunities.
Retirees and seniors could see modest fuel price stability, while nearby residents may worry about safety and environmental impacts.
Rural North Dakota is most directly affected; urban and suburban areas may notice only indirect fuel supply effects.

🏢 Key Stakeholders

Enbridge and affiliated shippers benefit from continued cross-border petroleum transport flexibility.
Refiners, fuel distributors, and North American midstream operators gain more reliable supply.
PHMSA, State Department designees, and North Dakota regulators oversee safety and permits.
Local landowners, tribes, and environmental advocates face spill, contamination, and oversight concerns.
Pipeline safety watchdogs and climate groups will press stricter enforcement and accountability.

📈 What to Expect

Existing cross-border pipeline operations continue with little immediate physical change.
Enbridge updates compliance filings and coordinates inspections with federal, state, and local regulators.
Directional flow or throughput adjustments become more likely without major new presidential review.
Cross-border petroleum movements remain more operationally flexible at the North Dakota crossing.
Permit stability reduces legal uncertainty for Enbridge’s existing border facilities operations.
Future disputes likely center on safety compliance, spills, or ownership changes.

📚 Historical Context

Continues longstanding presidential permitting of cross-border pipelines, used by Bush, Obama, and Trump.
Most directly updates George W. Bush’s 2008 Southern Lights permit, superseding rather than creating authority.
Builds on Trump’s 2019 Executive Order streamlining border-energy permits after Obama-era environmental reviews.
Contrasts with Biden’s 2021 Keystone XL revocation; here Trump facilitates, rather than blocks, cross-border oil infrastructure.
Historically notable: authorizes expanded operational flexibility for an existing line, not a controversial new pipeline.