Ann Arbor, Mich. — The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals returned the long-running Nessel v. Enbridge case to Michigan courts — righting a wrong, but not without leaving the dangerous and decrepit Line 5 oil pipeline in operation and the water, wildlife, and people of the Great Lakes at risk of one of the gravest environmental disasters in U.S. history.

“The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has rightfully returned this case to state courts — where it should have remained. What the court cannot do is give the people of Michigan and the Great Lakes the time back that this case has lingered. Every day is another day that Line 5 is a ticking timebomb for the largest fresh water lakes in the world as well as the people, wildlife, and ways of life that depend upon them,” said Beth Wallace, Great Lakes climate and energy director for the National Wildlife Federation. “Enbridge’s ongoing litigation cannot change the fact that it must shut down Line 5, before an anchor strike or other accident spoils this irreplaceable place. We thank Attorney General Nessel for her ongoing leadership to protect our rights to clean water.”

Line 5 is a 645-mile pipeline operated by Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy. It transports up to 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily from western to eastern Canada. Nearly all of the oil is delivered to users in Canada, the pipeline cuts across Wisconsin and Michigan, crossing hundreds of interconnected waters and traversing the treaty-reserved territory of tribal nations including the Bay Mills Indian Community and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Line 5 directly endangers the Great Lakes, which hold 84 percent of North America’s surface freshwater and provide drinking water for up to 40 million people.