Federal judge blocks Whitmer from shutting down submerged Great Lakes pipeline

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 blocks Michigan’s Line 5 pipeline shutdown

A federal judge ruled Michigan cannot shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, citing federal supremacy, treaty obligations, and interstate pipeline safety law.

U.S. judge blocks Michigan from shutting down Enbridge's submerged Line 5 oil pipeline

The decision comes five years after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revoked an easement allowing Canadian company Enbridge to operate a 6.4 kilometre stretch of aging pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, citing risks to the environment in the event of a spill.

Federal judge blocks Michigan governor from shutting down submerged Great Lakes pipeline

The federal judge ruled that only the federal government can regulate interstate pipeline safety.

Federal judge blocks Michigan from shutting down Line 5 pipeline

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A federal judge has ruled that the state of Michigan lacks the authority to shut down the controversial Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

Federal judge: Michigan has no authority to shut down Line 5

US District Court Judge Robert Jonker said Michigan has ‘no power to interfere’ in the pipeline’s operations because safety issues fall under the US government’s purview.