The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission holds hearings today (Mon 930am start) and tomorrow in Saint Paul before next week’s decision on whether Enbridge can upgrade its “Line 3” pipeline across northern Minnesota. Nancy Norr with “Jobs for Minnesotans” says it means thousands of construction jobs for those now working on projects outside Minnesota. “We want to see those families united, brought back together in their homes or close by, as they are able to work on a project in northern Minnesota,” she says.
Winona LaDuke with “Honor the Earth” says if the pipeline is approved, it’s a “slap in the face” and a “declaration of war” on the Anishinabe people. “I am not sure how many millions of dollars it would take the State of Minnesota to defend 300 miles of unbuilt pipe,” she says. “It is a little bit different than Standing Rock, but… Aitkin County could look like Morton County [North Dakota].”
LaDuke points to the “record of Enbridge in oil spills in pristine waters… the explosion at the Husky Refinery”, across the street from Enbridge’s terminal in Superior Wisconsin. Norr responds, “Our alternative is to truck or rail this liquid fuel, which has already been proven to have greater environmental degradation and risk.”