Judge retains jurisdiction in lawsuit over Enbridge pipeline

By JOHN FLESHER
AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge will stay in charge of a lawsuit that seeks to close a Great Lakes oil pipeline. U.S. District Judge Janet Neff retained jurisdiction Thursday in the case involving Enbridge Energy’s Line 5, which stretches across the waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a case to close the line in 2019 and wanted it heard in state court. Neff sided with the Canadian company, which contends regulation of the pipeline is a federal matter. Neff also is considering a separate Enbridge suit challenging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to decommission Line 5. Whitmer and Nessel say the pipeline is an environmental hazard, while Enbridge says it’s safe.