Toledo Blade | Tom Henry
On the eve of a major hearing that could decide the fate of the Great Lakes region’s most controversial pipeline, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has asked the hearing’s judge to consider the potential loss of 1,000 northwest Ohio refinery jobs if he allows Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 to remain shut down.
In an 11-page brief filed Monday with Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing, Mich., Mr. Yost — along with attorneys general from Indiana and Louisiana — said the state of Ohio “has a significant interest in the continued operation of the West Line of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and will experience far-reaching consequences if it is shut down.”
The brief states that officials recognize “that environmental protection and economic impact are not mutually exclusive” and that Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana all have a duty to protect the Great Lakes.
“However, Ohio, Indiana, and Louisiana also owe a duty to their citizens whose livelihoods depend on commerce that crosses state lines,” the brief states.