Unprecedented foot dragging by federal court over Line 5 puts our Great Lakes at risk

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today issued the following statement calling on U.S. District Court Judge Janet Neff to send the state of Michigan’s lawsuit to shut down the 68-year-old Line 5 Pipeline back to the Ingham County State Circuit Court, after the case has stalled in mediation with no settlement agreement reached. 

“After months of legal mediation with zero progress toward a resolution, it’s high time for the federal court to send the case to shut down Line 5 to the state courts where it belongs,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Each day that goes by without a legal resolution is another day our Great Lakes are at risk of a catastrophic oil spill. This case has floundered in federal court for too long. We call on Judge Neff to send the case back to Ingham County Circuit Court so we can have a final resolution and shut down Line 5 once and for all.”