On December 4, 2020, a Minnesota regulatory panel denied a request from two tribes to prevent Enbridge Energy from moving forward with its contentious Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement, which recently broke ground after receiving its final state permit.
The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Chippewa asked the independent Public Utilities Commission to stay its earlier approval of the project, citing pending litigation before the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Attorneys for the two northern Minnesota tribes argued that allowing construction to continue would cause irreparable harm should the court rule in their favor.
The commission voted 4-1 to reject the request.
