"New oil pipeline across Minnesota approved"

From the Star Tribune:

New oil pipeline across Minnesota approved

"Minnesota energy regulators gave their approval Tuesday to a new pipeline that will come out of Canada carrying crude oil across northern Minnesota and on to Wisconsin.

The unanimous decision by the five-member Public Utilities Commission followed a pitch from U.S.-based affiliates of Enbridge Inc., that the 1,000-mile pipeline will help supply the north central United States with reliable energy from a friendly neighbor, at a time of volatile petroleum prices and growing demand by a growing population."

This ruling comes amidst concerns that the Canadian tar sands are exporting pollution to the Great Lakes states. The refining process of oil from the tar sands takes one barrel of oil to produce three barrels of oil. Throughout the Great Lakes region there are several projects aimed at refining tar sands oil.

How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin