Michigan, Enbridge clash over Line 5 pipeline jurisdiction before U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a long-running legal dispute between the State of Michigan and Enbridge Energy over which court should oversee litigation tied to the future of the Line 5 petroleum pipeline. According to Bridge Michigan, the jurisdictional decision could significantly influence whether the state can pursue efforts to shut down a segment of the pipeline running beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed suit in state court in 2019 seeking to halt operations along a 4-mile section of Line 5 due to spill risk concerns in the Great Lakes. Enbridge later sought to move the case to federal court, prompting a legal battle over whether the company missed a statutory deadline for transferring the case. The Supreme Court is now considering whether exceptions can be made to that deadline and whether the case should proceed in federal or state court, Bridge Michigan reported.
The outcome could shape broader questions around state authority to regulate energy infrastructure and the extent to which federal pipeline safety laws preempt state-level actions. A separate federal ruling has already found that federal law limits Michigan’s ability to order a shutdown of the pipeline, while state officials argue they retain authority to address environmental and safety risks.
The case comes amid ongoing legal and regulatory disputes over Line 5’s long-term future, including Enbridge’s proposal to relocate a portion of the pipeline into a tunnel beneath the lakebed. Federal and state agencies are currently reviewing permits for the tunnel project, with decisions expected in the coming months as litigation over the existing pipeline continues.
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