Michigan judge rejects attorney general’s effort to move Line 5 case to state court
WASHINGTON — A judge in Michigan has rejected the state attorney general’s effort to get the dispute over the Line 5 cross-border pipeline kicked out of federal court.
U.S. Circuit Court Judge Janet Neff issued the long-awaited written ruling late Tuesday, agreeing with Calgary-based pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. that the dispute involves “substantial federal issues.”
The decision resolves one of the central questions in the case — whether a federal court is the proper forum — and gives additional weight to Enbridge’s argument that the dispute is a bilateral issue for Canada and the U.S. to resolve.
In her ruling, Neff said she’s satisfied that the Line 5 case comprises a “substantial federal question” and that hearing it won’t undermine Michigan’s right to resolve state issues.