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The small town of Superior, Wisconsin may emerge as an unlikely American maritime hub for Canadian crude if plans to transport Alberta oil sands oil across the Great Lakes come to pass.

There are many hurdles to cross. The first is a proposal to repair a shipping dock on Lake Superior that would set the stage for the construction of an oil terminal feeding refineries in and around the Great Lakes.

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Superior-based Elkhorn Industries has applied for a permit to reconstruct 700 feet of dockwall with the Wisconsin Natural Resources Department, and the move has pricked the ears of those who believe it is the first step towards mass transportation of Canadian crude across the lakes that separate Ontario and several U.S. states.

John Gozdzialski, regional director at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told the Financial Post the department is “inclined” to approve the Elkhorn project with certain conditions on December 26.