|
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) received applications for the Enbridge Energy (Enbridge) Line 3 project:
- Air quality capped permit for the Clearbrook Terminal
- Joint Application for 401 Water Quality Certification and 404 permit
- Industrial surface water and land discharge permits
Receiving the applications is the first step in a multi-step process. There are no draft permits at this time and nothing is open for public comment. The MPCA is developing a public outreach and engagement plan and will share more information when it is available.
All applications and supporting documents are on the MPCA’s website https://www.pca.state.mn.us/regulations/enbridge-line-3-pipeline-replacement-project. You can also sign up to receive MPCA Enbridge project updates on the website.
Background
Enbridge is proposing to construct a new oil pipeline in Minnesota to replace its existing Line 3 pipeline. The new pipeline will follow the existing Line 3 pipeline from North Dakota to the Clearbrook Terminal in Clearwater County, Minnesota. From the Clearbrook Terminal eastward, Enbridge proposes that the pipeline be constructed in a new alignment, south of the existing Line 3, ending at an existing terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.
Enbridge will need multiple approvals from state agencies and other regulators, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, in order to proceed. The MPCA's role is to protect water, land and air, which it does, in part, through the environmental permitting process.
When any entity submits an application to MPCA to obtain a permit, technical staff review the application and evaluate whether the project can meet applicable environmental regulations and standards. If so, the MPCA then develops project-specific permit conditions. These permit conditions ensure that all standards are met by limiting the type and amount of water discharges or air emissions, specifying how the project must be operated, and describing monitoring that must be conducted.
|
