Both sides are putting pressure on Governor Tim Walz to decide whether he’ll continue predecessor Mark Dayton’s legal challenge to the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline — ahead of tomorrow’s possible deadline for a decision. The Reverend Dana Neuhauser with New City Church in Minneapolis was among those at the governor’s office Friday saying, “I’m here to resist the injustice of another pipeline that prioritizes profit over the planet and her people.” Opponents hope Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s native heritage might hold sway, but Line 3 supporter, state Senator Justin Eichorn from Grand Rapids says, “The buck stops with Governor Walz. He’s the governor, not Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. Although I’m sure he respects her opinion, I think Governor Walz does realize the importance of this project.”
The Reverend Doctor Rebecca Voelkel with the Center for Sustainable Justice says, “We know that water is life, and our water and our lives are threatened by the Enbridge Line 3 project.” Eichorn responds the Line 3 project has had intense environmental scrutiny, and a new pipeline is safer than transporting oil by train. “I’ve had several of my constituents reach out to me and say, hey, I live next to the line; there was never any trouble; they’ve been good neighbors and good stewards,” Eichorn says. “And that gives me a lot of hope that they’re gonna continue to be good stewards.”