WASHINGTON — The federal government has officially weighed in on the latest legal fray over the cross-border Line 5 pipeline. 

The latest batch of court documents includes an "amicus brief" from Ottawa that argues against shutting down the line while talks are ongoing between Canada and the United States. 

The court dispute between Michigan and pipeline owner Enbridge Inc. is shaping up to be a carbon copy of an almost-identical case that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer abandoned last year. 

Michigan deserted that effort after District Court Judge Janet Neff agreed with Enbridge that the case belonged in a federal court. 

State Attorney General Dana Nessel took up a separate county court case instead, which Enbridge is again trying to get moved to the federal level. 

Canada's brief urges the court not to shut down Line 5 while treaty negotiations or arbitration are continuing between the two countries. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.

The Canadian Press