The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review an argument over whether the federal government or the Michigan state government should try the ongoing Line 5 case.

The high court released the list on June 30. In the Enbridge Energy vs. Attorney General of Michigan case, the justices will consider a legal decision that goes back to 2019.

Line 5 is a key Enbridge pipeline carrying crude and NGLs from production fields in Canada to refineries in the Midwest. A segment of the line flows under the Mackinac Straits, a narrow water channel connecting Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.

Environmentalists have said the line is in a place with high risk of causing an environmental disaster. Enbridge has proposed building a tunnel under the straits to provide a more secure passage for the line. The State of Michigan has sided with the protest groups.

In 2019, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a suit against Enbridge seeking to shut down the pipeline. Enbridge was able to keep the line open during the appeals process. In 2021, the company sought to change the lawsuit to a federal court venue.

Nessel protested the move, and the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in June 2024, saying that Enbridge missed a 30-day deadline to re-file in a federal court, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Enbridge’s appeal of the decision. The court only listed the case as one of its pending hearings and gave no further information.

Comments