Utility Regulators Approve Revised Environmental Review For Line 3 Pipeline Replacement

Minnesota utility regulators have approved a revised environmental review for Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across the state.

On Monday, the state Public Utilities Commission voted three to one to approve a court-ordered revised environmental review and to reinstate two key approvals that the company needs to proceed with the project. That clears the way for Enbridge to obtain two remaining major state and federal permits and some minor permits that it still needs. According to the Public Utilities Commission, the environmental impact statement for Enbridge’s proposed $2.6 billion dollar Line 3 pipeline project adequately addressed the impacts of a potential spill in the Lake Superior Watershed.

Environmental and tribal activists have urged regulators to not go through with the Enbridge Line 3 project, saying the pipeline would aggravate climate change and threaten pristine water resources. Activists also vowed further court challenges to ensure that the project is never built.