On Thursday, environmental groups and Native Americans plan to present Enbridge Energy with symbolic eviction notices. They want Enbirdge to abide by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. In November 2020, Governor Whitmer revoked the easement for Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 twin pipelines through the Straits of Mackinac, and gave the company 180 days to shut down that section of the pipelines, which carry light crude oil and natural gas liquids. That deadline was Wednesday at midnight, and Enbridge says it has no intention of shutting the line down. On Tuesday, Governor Whitmer pledged to try and seize any profits the company makes from the pipeline after that deadline, claiming trespass on state property. In the background, the question of whether Whitmer’s November revocation notice was legal is playing out in the courts. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued in circuit court to enforce the order, and Enbridge counter-sued in federal
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