A federal judge Thursday kept jurisdiction over a lawsuit seeking to close an oil pipeline crossing a section of the Great Lakes, rejecting Michigan’s effort to shift the case to state court.

Enbridge Line 5 is back up and running after protestors broke into a valve site.

Canada is getting deeply involved in a dispute over an oil pipeline in Michigan.

Gas prices are expected to rise ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Michigan's environmental agency said Friday it has approved construction of an underground tunnel to house a replacement for a controversial oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. AdThe project requires permits from the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We have issued permits designed to ensure that if a tunnel is constructed, it will be in strict compliance with relevant statutes and adhere to stringent protections against impacts to the Great Lakes,” Clark said. State officials emphasized the tunnel project was a separate legal matter from the dispute over the existing pipeline, which was laid in 1953. It has taken steps to prevent future anchor strikes and says the tunnel project would eliminate that danger.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Enbridge said Tuesday it would defy Michigan's demand to shut down an oil pipeline that runs through a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, contending that Gov. Saying Enbridge had repeatedly violated the terms and put the lakes at risk, Whitmer gave the company 180 days — until May 12 — to turn off the flow. Enbridge filed a federal lawsuit challenging the order shortly after it was issued. Enbridge has “no intention of shutting down the pipelines based on these unspecified allegations," Koby said in an interview. The company is seeking state and federal permits for the $500 million project, which is not affected by the shutdown order.

Whitmer demands answers from Enbridge on pipeline damageBut state attorneys said both should be turned off until an independent review is conducted. Gretchen Whitmer said Enbridge restarted the west leg of Line 5 without sharing enough information about the incident. She called it a brazen disregard for the people of Michigan and the safety of the Great Lakes. Enbridge understands the importance of the Great Lakes to the State and the need to protect the Straits, the environment and people. The east leg pipeline remains shut down, while the west leg was restarted after a thorough review and consultation with our safety regulator.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer demanded Friday that Enbridge Energy provide proof that the damage to one of its dual oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac will not pose a threat to the area. Whitmer said the damage and how it occurred calls into question the viability of the pipeline. Thats why I am requesting Enbridge turn over to the State of Michigan all relevant information about this most recent damage and provide affirmative evidence that establishes the integrity of the pipeline, Whitmer said in a statement. Duffy clarified that the problem does not affect the pipeline, which he said was shut down as a precaution. The EPA determined that Enbridge neglected to properly evaluate thousands of shallow dents on its Lakehead Pipeline System, which runs across northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. – A 200-foot-long broken boring pipe remains embedded in the Straits of Mackinac and may not be recoverable by a company that operates a fuel pipeline, officials said. Enbridge Inc. retrieved a broken 45-foot rod in December and told state regulators that a pipe of similar length remained. But the leftover pipe actually is 200 feet long, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday. The broken pipe was related to a project last summer. “I don't expect much would be done (to recover) that remaining 200 feet of grout rod," Haas said.