Michigan Judge Bars State From Blocking Enbridge Pipeline (2)

Michigan can’t issue state regulations that interfere with Enbridge Energy‘s Line 5 oil and gas pipeline, a federal court said Wednesday.

The decision prevents the state from enforcing its November 2020 notice revoking a 1953 state easement to Enbridge’s predecessor and ordering the company to cease operations within 180 days.

The ruling is a blow to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and her administration, which ordered Enbridge to cease operating the disputed four-mile segment because of the environmental threat. That order was in line with a series of clean energy-focused actions that Whitmer undertook during her ongoing stint as governor. ...