Enbridge Pipeline Moves Step Closer

Enbridge Inc’s Line 3 oil pipeline, expected to be the first new cross-border oil-sands conduit built between Canada and the US in years, received a boost after a Minnesota appeals court rejected a challenge to a water permit.

The ruling removes one more hurdle to completion of the 760,000-barrel-a-day pipe which will expand Canadian oil sands exports to the US once the line goes into operation as early as next month.

The decision is “an important affirmation” of the state agency’s approval for the project, “confirming that wetlands and waterbodies are being appropriately protected during construction,” Michael Barnes, Enbridge spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Canada’s oil-sands producers have struggled for years with a shortage of export pipelines as projects face increasing scrutiny from courts and regulators.  On his first day in office, President Biden rescinded a permit for TC Energy Corporation’s Keystone XL project which would have helped increase shipments of Canadian crude to the US Gulf Coast.

The Line 3 project has been fiercely opposed by some environmental and indigenous groups, who have staged protests this summer along the construction route. Enbridge spent years in court fights and regulatory battles to get the line built.

“It’s disappointing that the court will not hold MPCA accountable for their failure to protect our clean water,” Gabby Brown, a Sierra Club spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement.

Source: Rigzone