It’s taken five years, but Michigan’s claim that states have a significant regulatory role in pipeline permitting is now in the hands of a judge whose ruling following a four-hour hearing on Jan. 27 could set the stage for similar challenges nationwide.
There are more than 2.6 million miles of oil/gas pipelines crisscrossing the United States, with 71 networks spanning the nation’s border with Canada, meaning they’re primarily regulated under federal law and by treaties between the neighboring countries.