US EditionFederal judge blocks Whitmer from shutting down submerged Great Lakes pipeline
Judge rules federal law preempts Michigan's attempt to shut Line 5, citing exclusive federal authority and international agreements with Canada, after five years of legal disputes.
- A federal judge ruled that Michigan lacks the authority to shut down the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.
- The judge stated that the federal Pipeline Safety Act preempts state attempts to regulate interstate pipeline safety, putting that authority exclusively with the federal government.
- The ruling rejected Michigan's shutdown order and attempt to revoke the pipeline's easement as an impermissible state safety determination that conflicts with U.S. foreign policy and treaty obligations with Canada.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Enbridge wins key ruling as federal judge bars Michigan from ending Line 5 easement
Enbridge pumping station, Mackinaw City, Feb. 7, 2023 | Laina G. StebbinsA federal judge has deemed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s move to revoke the Line 5 oil pipeline’s easement to operate within the Great Lakes unenforceable, determining that the move is barred by federal law. Judge Robert Jonker of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan’s Southern Division issued an order Wednesday siding with Canadian pipeline compa…
Federal judge rules Whitmer, Nessel can’t close Line 5 pipeline
Enbridge scored another legal victory in federal court on Wednesday against Democratic efforts to shut down the Line 5 dual pipelines traversing the Straits of Mackinac. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled that the federal government, rather than state officials, maintains jurisdiction over the pipeline, citing the 1992 Pipeline Safety Act. “Pipeline safety generally, and protection of the Straits of Mackinac, ar…
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