WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2020) Regulators from the US state of Minnesota have given a Canadian energy giant the go-ahead to proceed with a pipeline replacement project, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said in a statement.
"On November 30, 2020, the MPCA approved the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and issued coverage under the Construction Stormwater General Permit for the Line 3 replacement project," the statement said on Monday.
The application by Canadian energy giant was submitted on October 19 and was given approval by the US Army Corps of Engineers on November 23, the statement said.
The pipeline has been opposed by local indigenous communities, who, in addition environmental concerns, cite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as a threat to their communities.
The White Earth Reservation spokesperson Gary Padrta told Sputnik that his group, who have been among those vehemently opposing the pipeline, are looking into the details of the approval.
The section of pipeline in questions is part of a cross-continental pipeline system that is a critical part of the Canadian energy industry, as it carries oil from Western Canada to refineries in Ontario and the United States.
Two weeks earlier, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that her government is moving forward with a plan to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 pipelines through the Straits of Mackinac, citing the threat of oil spills that may devastate the environment and economy.
Despite outlining an ambitious climate change agenda, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has largely backed Canadian energy projects with Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan's Press-Secretary Ian Cameron telling Sputnik that Ottawa supports Enbridge's Line 5 and Trudeau himself, reportedly, lobbying projected President-elect Joe Biden to continue with the Keystone XL pipeline expansion.
