SAINT PAUL – Today, a bipartisan, bicameral group of Minnesota legislators, led by Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL – Aurora), sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz urging approval of the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project in northern Minnesota. If approved, the project – funded by $2.6 billion worth of private-sector investments – would create more than 4,000 union jobs during a time of unprecedented unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Line 3 review has been rigorous and thorough. Enough is enough with the delays, appeals, and reconsiderations,” Rep. Lislegard said. “Unemployment in the area of the project is pushing 24 percent. Every day that goes by without construction starting is a day we miss out on the opportunity to get Minnesotans back to work in skilled, good-paying jobs. Line 3 represents a way we can all work together to deliver a brighter future for our region, and it’s time to get this done.”
The project would replace an aging crude oil pipeline from Alberta to Superior, Wis., traveling across northern Minnesota. The letter calls on Gov. Walz to direct the state Dept. of Commerce to drop any further appeal of the Line 3 replacement and ensure the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issues any necessary permits necessary for construction to get underway.
In February, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved the certificate of need, route permit, and environmental impact statement for the project. The approval followed more than five years of review and study, including 70 public comment meetings resulting in dozens of route modifications.
The Dept. of Commerce, however, had requested the PUC to reconsider the approval. In July, the PUC upheld its prior action.
A copy of the letter can be accessed here.