The leader of an environmental group pushing for greater public scrutiny of Enbridge Inc.'s plans to replace 60 miles of crude oil pipeline in northern Indiana says the company's proposal highlights the need for the state to improve its public process for vetting such projects.
Save the Dunes executive director Nicole Barker says the Michigan City-based group hopes to persuade other advocacy groups this fall to push for legislative changes next year to address those concerns. She says Indiana also needs more regulatory oversight of pipeline projects.
Enbridge is seeking permission from several agencies to replace 60 miles of pipeline installed in 1969.
Barker says the project raises questions following recent Enbridge oil pipeline spills, including a 2010 pipeline rupture in southwestern Michigan that released 843,000 gallons of crude oil.
