Appellate court affirms Minnesota regulators' approval of new Enbridge pipeline

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has affirmed the state's approval of Enbridge's controversial new pipeline, a blow to environmental groups and Ojibwe tribes trying to halt its construction.

Opponents of the project, a replacement for the current Line 3, had appealed the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission's 2020 approval of a certificate of need for the $3 billion-plus, 340-mile pipeline across northern Minnesota. They had hoped the appellate court would halt or otherwise delay the pipeline's construction.

On Monday, a three-judge panel handed down its decision, with judges Lucinda Jesson and Michael Kirk upholding the commission's decision and Peter Reyes Jr. dissenting.

https://www.startribune.com/appellate-court-affirms-minnesota-regulators-approval-of-new-enbridge-pipeline-line-3/600068007/