Overview
- U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker on Dec. 17 granted summary judgment to Enbridge, barring Michigan from enforcing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 order to revoke the Straits of Mackinac easement.
- The ruling holds that interstate pipeline safety is exclusively a federal responsibility under the Pipeline Safety Act and that a shutdown would conflict with U.S.–Canada foreign policy and trade positions.
- Enbridge welcomed the decision, saying it avoids significant energy disruptions and noting that PHMSA has not ordered Line 5 closed.
- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said it is reviewing the opinion and weighing an appeal to the Sixth Circuit.
- Other disputes continue, including a separate state easement case, challenges to permits for a proposed tunnel, and litigation tied to a Wisconsin reroute across tribal lands.