The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to review whether Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit seeking to shut down part of an aging pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac belongs in state or federal court
ByTODD RICHMOND Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. — The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will review whether Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit seeking to shut down a section of an aging pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel belongs in state court.
Nessel sued in state court in June 2019 seeking to void the easement that allows the Enbridge energy company to operate a 4.5-mile (6.4-kilometer) section of pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
She won a restraining order shutting down the pipeline from Ingham County Judge James Jamo in June 2020, although Enbridge was allowed to continue operations after meeting safety requirements.
The company moved the lawsuit into federal court in 2021, arguing it affects U.S. and Canadian trade. But a three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to Jamo in June 2024, finding that Enbridge missed a 30-day deadline to change jurisdictions.
On Monday, the Supreme Court did not explain its rationale for taking up the matter.
Enbridge officials said in a statement that they were encouraged by the Supreme Court’s choice, noting that exceptions to the 3