Court Gives Enbridge Pipleline Green Light

Construction of the controversial Enbridge Pipeline in McLean County has moved closer to completion. An Illinois Appellate Court upheld a lower court's ruling allowing the work to proceed. This, despite outstanding legal issues between the pipeline company and local property owners. Earlier this year, landowners filed suit seeking to halt construction until financial terms with Enbridge could be reached. The Appellate Court upheld McLean County Circuit Court Judge Paul Lawrence's ruling allowing construction to proceed while the property owners' lawsuit is pending. The Illinois Commerce Commission has granted Enbridge eminent domain over the private property where its pipeline will run. Despite the commission's ruling, several local farmers still object to having a liquid petroleum pipeline on their land,citing safety concerns. The 168-mile pipeline will pass through Livingston, McLean, DeWitt and Macon counties in central Illinois on its way from Flanagan to Patoka in southern Illinois.