Environmentalists ask U.S. regulators to reconsider Enbridge pipeline project
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Environmental and Indigenous groups asked Minnesota regulators on Tuesday to reconsider their approval of Enbridge Energy’s plans to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
The groups, including the Sierra Club, Youth Climate Intervenors, Friends of the Headwaters and Honor the Earth, filed their requests with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Opponents contend the line does not meet permit criteria.
In June, the commission gave Enbridge the green light to replace Line 3. But a PUC meeting to discuss whether Enbridge met conditions was postponed earlier this month after being disrupted by protesters.
Opponents argue the PUC erred in granting a certificate of need for Line 3 because alleged harm to society would outweigh the replacement line’s benefits, and that Enbridge did not prove the pipeline was needed.