Oil pipeline foes look past regulators after another loss
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Opponents of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement are turning their attention to fighting the project on other fronts after a Minnesota regulatory panel took one of its final steps Thursday and reaffirmed its approval of the project.
The Public Utilities Commission unanimously rejected petitions by environmental and tribal groups that asked the panel to reconsider its 3-2 decision in June to approve a route permit for the line across northern Minnesota. Those opponents acknowledged ahead of time that they held out little hope, given the commission earlier this month unanimously rejected their petitions to reconsider the project’s certificate of need.
Supports of the project started arriving before 6 a.m. and grabbed most of 83 public seats in the hearing room. So only a few opponents, from environmental groups including MN350 and Native American tribes, were in the room to protest immediately after the decision.
“Line 3 is a climate change disaster so we will stop Line 3,” they chanted.