Enbridge Energy, the owner and operator of the Line 3 pipeline project in northern Minnesota, will pay more than $11 million after investigations identified water quality violations and three aquifer breaches related to the pipeline’s construction, state regulators said recently. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the results from investigations of water quality violations and aquifer breaches related to the construction project. Combined with the previous DNR actions, and in partnership with Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the investigations have resulted in more than $11 million in payments, environmental projects, and financial assurances from Enbridge, according to the state agencies.
Water activists in Michigan urge Canada to stop supporting Line 5
Water activists are calling on Canadian officials to back Michigan's efforts to close the Line 5 dual pipelines, which have spilled more than a million gallons of oil into the Straits of Mackinac and surrounding waters. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Canadian natural gas company Enbridge Energy to close Line 5 in May, but they have ignored the order while challenging it in court.
Minnesota court deals another blow to Line 3 opponents
The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a decision by state pollution regulators to issue a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy's Line 3 crude oil pipeline, the latest setback for opponents who are trying to stop the project as it nears completion. The appeals court ruled that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's approval was “supported by substantial evidence in the record.”