"Michigan Drops Federal Suit Against Enbridge Line 5"

"Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer abandoned a federal lawsuit Tuesday aimed at shutting down an oil pipeline that runs through part of the Great Lakes but said the state would continue pursuing a separate case with the same goal.

Whitmer’s legal maneuver followed a federal judge’s decision earlier this month to retain jurisdiction over the suit brought by Enbridge Energy after the state revoked an easement allowing Line 5 to cross the Straits of Mackinac.

It further complicates a lengthy dispute over the 68-year-old pipeline, raising the possibility of simultaneous federal and state court cases alongside political negotiations involving Michigan, the Biden administration and the Canadian government.

Enbridge contends Line 5 is a federal matter, raising questions of U.S. law and commerce between the two nations. Whitmer’s administration says the key issue is Michigan’s right to protect the Great Lakes, much of which are within its boundaries."

Mary Annette Pember reports for Indian Country Today November 30, 2021.

SEE ALSO:

"Michigan To Drop Federal Lawsuit Against Enbridge Over Line 5; Pursue State Court Case" (Detroit Free Press)