Minn. Supreme Court Affirms Need For Environmental Review Of Oil Pipeline
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court has given a victory to opponents of the proposed Sandpiper oil pipeline, declining to review a Court of Appeals decision requiring an environmental impact statement for the project.
In an order Tuesday, the high court without comment denied petitions by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and an Enbridge Energy subsidiary to hear their appeal.
The Court of Appeals in September reversed the PUC's decision to grant a certificate of need for the Sandpiper pipeline, which would carry Bakken light crude from western North Dakota across Minnesota to an Enbridge terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The court said state law requires the completion of an environmental impact statement before granting the certificate. The PUC had planned to conduct the environmental review at a later stage in the proceedings.
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