Gov. Dayton: Pipeline Replacement Will Be Vetoed

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton says he would veto a bill allowing a Canadian energy company to bypass Minnesota regulators and build a replacement for an aging pipeline.

Dayton said Friday that Enbridge Energy's $7.5 billion Line 3 pipeline replacement should be vetted by the Public Utilities Commission before it gets approval to begin construction.

The Republican House amended a jobs and energy bill Thursday to allow Enbridge to skirt regulators.

The pipeline currently runs 1,097 miles from Alberta, Canada, clips the northeast corner of North Dakota and traverses northern Minnesota on its way to Superior, Wisconsin.

Opponents say the proposed Minnesota route is full of forests and waters susceptible to damage from an oil spill. The area also includes treaty lands and waters where Ojibwe bands harvest wild rice.