Minnesota Pollution Control Agency granted Permits for Enbridge’s Line 3 Oil Pipeline

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On Thursday, 2 Minnesota regulators granted environmental permits for Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. The critical approvals needed for construction to start soon on the controversial $2.6 billion projects. The MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) approved permits dealing with water quality and wetland issues arising from construction of the 340-mile pipeline. The DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) granted several Line 3 permits. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers still must approve its own environmental permit. One Enbridge has said that it expects to get soon. A union official informed the Star Tribune that he expects Enbridge will start construction next month. Point to be noted that Line 3 would transport heavy Canadian oil to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wis., has been navigating the Minnesota regulatory process for 6 years.

It is noteworthy that the pipeline would cross 212 streams and affect more than 700 acres of wetlands in Minnesota. The MPCA issued its most stringent water quality permit to date for the Line 3 project. Enbridge must do extensive mitigation of streams and wetlands that it disturbs. The MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop issued a statement and said, “The MPCA has used sound science and thorough analysis to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place to protect Minnesota’s waters”. The head of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Steve Morse said, “Clearly, the environmental community is deeply disappointed that our lead environmental protection agency would permit a project without using the tools it has to fully review [the pipeline’s] dramatic climate and environmental justice impacts”.

The Minnesota marketing manager for the Laborers Union, Kevin Pranis said, “It’s a huge day for us because it means this project has cleared Minnesota’s rigorous environmental standards. We have every expectation our members will be building this project in December”. It is important that Line 3 would be one of the largest construction projects in Minnesota in recent years, employing over 4,000 workers at its peak. Pranis also said that Enbridge is likely to build 3 sections of Line 3 concurrently once it gets all of its permits. The MPCA permits and a parallel water quality permit from the U.S Army Corps of Engineers are the most significant approvals Calgary-based Enbridge needs before it starts building new Line 3. It would replace an aging pipeline with the same name.