Michigan, Enbridge battle over Line 5 pipeline before Supreme Court

It may seem like a dull procedural question: Which court — federal or state — should oversee a lawsuit over the fate of the Line 5 pipeline?

But the answer could make or break Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s yearslong effort to shut down the controversial petroleum pipeline. It would also set a precedent for how closely courts must follow legal deadlines meant to avoid drawn-out cases and how much power states have to regulate the fossil fuel industry.

The arguments stemmed from a lawsuit Nessel filed in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County in 2019, seeking to shut down a 4-mile stretch of the Canadian oil pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac over fears it could cause a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes.

Nearly two years later, Enbridge filed to move the case to federal court — long after the 30-day statutory deadline to do so. 

More on this story at BridgeMI.com.