Minnesota Utility Regulators Reaffirm Support for Line 3

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota utility regulators have reaffirmed their support for Enbridge Energy's plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted 4-1 Thursday to reject petitions for reconsideration filed by several Ojibwe bands, environmental groups and the state Commerce Department.

The PUC rejected arguments from project opponents that regulators should consider new evidence that has emerged since they first approved the pipeline two years ago. Line 3 starts in Alberta, Canada, and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing northern Minnesota en route to Enbridge's terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.