Enbridge Fails to Meet Aquifer Cleanup Deadline in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Enbridge has failed to meet a deadline set by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for cleaning up a site where an aquifer ruptured during construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline.

The DNR had given the company until Friday to repair the damage to the artesian aquifer near Clearbrook. Regulators will require compensation for the additional time it takes to stop the groundwater flow.

The Star Tribune reports that regulators are also investigating two other sites where the company may have caused additional groundwater damage. Enbridge spokeswoman Juli Kellner says the company is “fully cooperating” with the DNR.

Line 3 starts in Alberta, Canada, and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing Minnesota en route to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.