MN Court of Appeals Denies Petition to Halt Line 3 Construction

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied a petition to halt construction of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 oil pipeline replacement.

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa, White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and the group Friends of the Headwaters had asked the court back in December to suspend the state regulators’ approval of the project.

Enbridge Energy released a statement Tuesday night saying they are pleased with the decision from the Minnesota Court of Appeals, but not surprised. Enbridge says the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s review of the Line 3 replacement project was thorough and exhaustive – from the environmental impact statement to the certificate of need and route permit.

Friends of the Headwaters posted a message on Facebook Tuesday night saying they are disappointed in the Court of Appeals’ decision not to halt construction on Line 3 while pending appeals are proceeding. Their statement says they will press on with legal challenges to this project in both state and federal courts, and they remain confident that, eventually, the courts will keep Line 3 from ever going into operation.

Enbridge says Line 3 is an essential maintenance and safety project that enhances environmental protections while also creating more than 5,000 construction jobs. But environmental and tribal groups say the project is a threat to Minnesota waterways from potential spills and would put traditional activities like wild rice harvesting and fishing at risk.