US Justice Department files statement of interest in Enbridge-Michigan case

Sept 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday that it filed a statement of interest last week in a case between Enbridge Energy and the State of Michigan in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

The department said its statement highlights that shutting down Enbridge's international pipeline interferes with the United States' exclusive authority in foreign affairs.

"The federal government already comprehensively regulates pipeline safety, but Michigan is trying to usurp the Department of Transportation’s statutory authority," said Adam Gustafson, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.