Monday · 31 August 2026 The DAILY Big Drop
The State Fights the Line Under Your Land
The families whose land sits atop a decades-old oil pipeline just watched Michigan's own lawyers tell a federal court the state can throw the operator off — over their own backyards. Our newsroom pulled State Officials' reply brief in Case 26-1021, filed Aug. 28, where Michigan argues its Notice of Revocation and Termination of Easement should stand against the pipeline company. The operator says the Natural Gas Act and federal safety rules trump the state. If Michigan wins, states could revoke easements for lines crossing their land and water — reshaping who controls a route through your neighborhood. If it loses, a federal law written in Washington keeps the line open no matter what your state decides. The people who live above the pipe don't get a vote either way.
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