ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Latest on Minnesota regulators considering whether to approve a pipeline project (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
Minnesota regulators have approved Enbridge Energy’s preferred route to upgrade its deteriorating Line 3 pipeline that carries crude oil across the state.
The vote Thursday followed approval earlier in the day of a certificate of need for the project.
American Indian activists and climate change activists oppose the project, saying it’s unnecessary and would risk spills in pristine areas of the state.
The approved route would mostly avoid two American Indian reservations whose tribes strongly oppose the project, with a short crossing at one stretch of the Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa’s land to connect to existing pipeline.
Commissioners said if the Fond du Lac don’t agree, they’ll shift the route.
The commission vote was just 3-2, compared to a unanimous vote to approve the certificate of need.
___
4:25 p.m.
Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 3 replacement in Minnesota say they’re not done fighting.
Minnesota regulators unanimously endorsed Enbridge’s project on Thursday, although the key issue of route has not yet been discussed or settled.
Winona LaDuke, founder of Honor the Earth, says opponents will use every regulatory means available, and threatened mass protests if necessary. LaDuke says Enbridge has “gotten their Standing Rock,” a reference to the massive protests in North Dakota over another pipeline.
Margaret Levin, state director for the Minnesota chapter of the Sierra Club, denounced the decision as shameful. She said pipeline opponents have “grief, anger, anguish and worry for the future.”
___
4 p.m.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says the approval of Enbridge Energy’s proposal to replace its Line 3 pipeline is not the final word on the project.
The state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a certificate of need for the project. Several commissioners cited the deterioration of the existing pipeline as a major reason.
In a statement, Dayton urged pipeline opponents to “express themselves peacefully.”
He says Enbridge has many more permits they must apply for and that approval isn’t assured.
The PUC also hasn’t yet taken up the contentious issue of the pipeline’s route.
___
3:20 p.m.
Minnesota regulators have approved Enbridge Energy’s proposal for replacing its deteriorating Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota, but they haven’t yet settled on the route.
The Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to grant a certificate of need for Enbridge. The Calgary, Alberta-based company says the pipeline needs replacing for safety and reliability because its maintenance needs are accelerating.
The commission hasn’t yet taken up the route. The current route runs across two American Indian reservations whose tribes strongly oppose the project.
Line 3 was built in the 1960s. It runs from Alberta across North Dakota and Minnesota to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.
Climate change and tribal activists are fighting the project. They note the new pipeline would carry Canadian tar sands oil and risk spills in areas of Minnesota where Native Americans harvest wild rice. They’re expected to challenge the commission’s decision in court.
___
12:50 p.m.
Minnesota regulators appear ready to approve Enbridge Energy’s proposal to replace its aging Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. But they haven’t yet tackled the big question of the route.
The Public Utilities Commission was set to vote Thursday afternoon after several days of hearings on the project. All five members appeared to support the project during a public meeting ahead of the vote.
But the route remains a big question. The current pipeline crosses two American Indian reservations whose tribes strongly oppose the project.
Enbridge has proposed a route that bypasses those reservations, but the tribes and climate change activists oppose that route, too.
Line 3 was built in the 1960s. Enbridge says it needs to replace the pipeline because it’s increasingly subject to corrosion and cracking.
___
11:30 a.m.
Minnesota regulators have begun deliberations on whether to approve or reject Enbridge Energy’s proposal for replacing its aging Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
The Public Utilities Commission entered a fifth day of hearings on the project Thursday. Commissioners began deliberations after they finished questioning representatives on both sides of the debate.
Line 3 was built in the 1960s. Enbridge says it needs to replace the pipeline because it’s increasingly subject to corrosion and cracking. The Calgary, Alberta-based company also says the pipeline can currently run at only half its original capacity.
Climate change and tribal activists oppose the project. Some set up a large tripod to block one street outside the commission’s building in downtown St. Paul on Thursday morning. It bore a sign reading, “Expect Resistance.”
___
8:40 a.m.
Minnesota regulators are approaching decision time on whether to approve or reject Enbridge Energy’s proposal for replacing its aging Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
The Public Utilities Commission enters a fifth day of hearings on the project Thursday and was expected to begin deliberations once the commissioners have finished questioning representatives on both sides of the debate.
Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge says it needs to replace Line 3, which it built in the 1960s, because it’s increasingly subject to corrosion and cracking and can run at only half its original capacity.
Climate change and tribal activists oppose the project. Some set up a large tripod to block one street outside the PUC’s building in downtown St. Paul on Thursday morning. It bore a sign reading, “Expect Resistance.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.