(St. Paul, MN) – A second appeal to reconsider approved permits for the Line 3 Replacement Project was filed yesterday by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Governor Walz is repeating past failings and showing he cares more about the opinions of far-removed metro residents than Northern Minnesota, yet again!
The Enbridge project has been approved three separate times, despite pushback from environmental groups and even terroristic actions. Six years we have waited and participated in over 70 meetings, many public comment periods, and thousands of pages of an Environmental Impact Statement. By the way, the findings of the statement resulted in approval from state agencies and a permit for Enbridge in February of this year.
There is no question that the pipeline replacement is the only viable option. We have been moving oil through the area for years and should not stop doing so now. Continuing operations on an old pipeline would inevitably spell disaster for the environment and the economy.
The Line 3 Replacement Project is incredibly important during this time, both for the directly impacted area and our whole state. As the project moves across Northern Minnesota, our small towns benefit significantly from the workers who will buy food and supplies from our local businesses. Thousands of construction workers will be contracted, resulting in over $100 million of tribal employment and increased job opportunities for blue-collar workers statewide.
Our area, and the state as a whole, needs this extra boost in business after the Governor’s executive orders and the resulting loss of revenue this past spring and summer. Unemployment rates are around 20%. Languishing employment and a huge budget deficit are no small matters, and it impacts individual lives. On top of that, the last thing we need is an oil spill polluting our beautiful outstate areas, adding to all of the other difficulties this year. It is baffling that during such an unstable economic time for our state, Governor Walz is willing to cripple us further.