Hearings on Enbridge’s Line 3 Oil Pipeline Open in St. Paul

Oil Pipeline Transfers Product to Superior

ST. PAUL, Minn.-A hearing opens in St. Paul on Wednesday on whether Enbridge Energy should be allowed to replace a stretch of its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline that crosses northern Minnesota.

The 12-day “evidentiary hearing” before an administrative law judge will be a trial-like proceeding to gather information to help the Public Utilities Commission decide whether the project is needed. Line 3 carries crude oil from Alberta to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior.

Enbridge wants to replace the 282 miles of the existing pipeline in Minnesota, which was built in the 1960s, with a new 337-mile pipeline. Construction is already underway on segments in Canada and Wisconsin. Environmental and tribal groups oppose the higher-capacity pipeline, saying it would contribute to climate change and pose an unacceptable risk of oil spills.