On the Drillpad
Blockading Line 3 Drill Pad #StopLine3
On December 14th, water protectors blockaded construction of the Line 3 drill pad under the Mississippi River. 22 were arrested, including a tree sitter who blocked construction for 10 days straight.
Our planet needs our support. We are stronger when we stand together.
Governor Walz, President-Elect Biden: respect future generations, respect Ojibwe treaty rights and Stop Line 3!
Learn more, get involved and support the movement: https://linktr.ee/stopline3
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Photo credit Sarah LittleRedfeather … Not for use without permission
We are “Water Protectors … Not Protesters”
In the News
Water protectors slow work on Line 3 project
by Lynn Mizner Aitkinage Dec 9, 2020
Opponents of Enbridge's Line 3 construction make last-ditch effort at river's edge
While legal challenges continue, protesters aim to stand in the way.
By Brooks Johnson Star Tribune DECEMBER 10, 2020 — 4:53AM
Protesters hang on as construction continues on Line 3 pipeline project
Line 3 construction begins as activists try to find ways to halt it
Evan FrostPalisade, Minn.December 10, 2020 7:00 p.m.
Biden could swing these 5 pipeline battles
Mike Soraghan, Mike Lee and Carlos Anchondo, E&E News reportersPublished: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Line 3 in Minnesota
It would be more difficult for the Biden administration to influence Enbridge's plan to replace Line 3, which is opposed by environmental groups and tribes along its route. The line runs through Minnesota on its path from Edmonton, Alberta, to Superior, Wis.
Construction has begun, and changing either its state or federal permits would be tough.
"We have observed that agencies that go through the effort of issuing authorizations in contested proceedings rarely reverse course, particularly when such stays are sought at the proverbial eleventh hour," analysts at Clearview Energy Inc. wrote in a research note.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Friday rejected an appeal by Native American groups that wanted to reverse a decision authorizing the pipeline's route.
The Army Corps issued permits in November under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to cross more than 200 lakes and other bodies of water in Minnesota (Energywire, Nov. 24).
However, the permit language allows the Army Corps to "reevaluate" the permit if it finds that Enbridge provided false or inaccurate information or if "significant new information surfaces," according to the Sierra Club, which has opposed the plan. That could potentially allow the Biden administration to influence the pipeline's development. But pipeline critics say the law requires a significant amount of evidence to reverse the permit.
The pipeline carries crude into the United States from Canada's oil sands region. Enbridge wants to replace more than 1,000 miles of the pipe, including 337 miles in Minnesota, and expand its capacity.
Yu, with Enbridge, said the permit fight delayed the start of construction, but it allowed the company to compile a lot of evidence that will help it withstand potential permitting challenges.
"This has gone longer than we like, but we've built up a strong record," he said.
Enbridge began construction on Dec. 1, a day after state regulators issued their final permit for the replacement line. The Sierra Club and other environmental and Native American groups filed suit in the state Court of Appeals to overturn permits from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A separate suit in the same court is challenging an environmental review conducted by the state PUC.
Work was stopped yesterday at one location, according to the Army Corps, after a "potential historic structure" was discovered along the Line 3 route near the Mississippi River.
Video: The Pandemic Pipeline: Land & Water Defenders Continue Resistance to Enbridge Line 3 in Minnesota
STORYDECEMBER 18, 2020