Oral Arguments Today in Enbridge Line 5 Oil Spill Response Case

Federal judges hear virtual oral arguments today in a dispute between the National Wildlife Federation and pipeline safety regulators that could require the government to more closely study oil spill response plans for projects.

• The case centers on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s oil spill study for Enbridge Inc.'s Line 5, which crosses Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac.
• A lower court last year agreed with environmentalists that the agency should have done a more extensive analysis before approving a spill response plan for the oil pipeline. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reviewing that decision. ...