White House: US will discuss Michigan pipeline with Canada

The U.S. and Canada will discuss the future of an oil pipeline that crosses part of the Great Lakes, according to a White House spokeswoman.

At a news briefing Monday, Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. and Canada would "engage constructively" in discussions about Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered the Canadian company to shut down the line because of the potential for a catastrophic rupture in the Straits of Mackinac. The company refuses and says the line is in good shape.

Canada last month invoked a 1977 treaty on transit of oil between the two nations and asked for negotiations. Canada says Line 5 is the safest way to transport oil and says the it is essential for heating homes in Canada, as well as its economy

The pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario.