121 7th Place E, Suite 350 The federally recognized Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, comprised of the Six Bands of the … All rights reserved. The Enbridge pipeline is meant to replace an original line was built in the 1960s and is corroding, risking an oil spill. It has been plagued by leaks and spills, and few people deny it needs to be repaired or taken out of operation. In 2014, Enbridge proposed the construction of a new route for the Line 3 pipeline which would increase the … Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership has applied to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for a certificate of need and a pipeline routing permit for its Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project. The replacement segments in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin are already complete, leaving only the 337-mile (542-kilometer) stretch in Minnesota. “A major outbreak in a rural area with limited healthcare capacity such as Aitkin county … will have ripple effects across our entire state healthcare infrastructure.”. “When we are encouraging people to not travel for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then I think we need to also not encourage large groups of people to travel for work that doesn’t have to be done right now.”. As Covid-19 cases surge in Minnesota, an oil company is bringing in thousands of out-of-state workers to finish building a pipeline from Canada that will stretch hundreds of miles across the state. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Twenty-two people were arrested north of Palisade on Monday, as they opposed the replacement and building of the Line 3 Pipeline through northern Minnesota. Advocates and Native tribes, who have fought the proposal for years, have renewed complaints amid a coronavirus surge, Fri 4 Dec 2020 11.00 GMT State energy regulators will on Friday consider a separate request to halt the project while court battles are ongoing, from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. These are the official maps (satellite imagery and topographic) of the final route approved by the State of Minnesota for Enbridge's new Line 3 corridor, and included in the Routing Permit for the project. It runs from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin. Available for everyone, funded by readers. This article was amended on 4 December 2020 to clarify the details of the Enbridge pipeline’s construction. In Aitkin county where construction is starting, a senior nurse at the Riverwood healthcare center said the staff is already struggling. Line 3 begins in Alberta, Canada, and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing Minnesota on its way to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The replacement segments in … “There is not a more egregious decision you could have made in the state of Minnesota right now. PALISADE, Minn. (KVRR) – Activists gather at the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in Northern Minnesota for an antipipeline prayer vigil. Who pays for that? The company will increase to 4,000 employees – some local and some not – over four to six weeks, it said. Minnesota Public Utilities Commission JACOBSON — Demonstrations by those opposed to the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline project led to the arrests of 22 people this week in Aitkin County. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota regulators granted a stack of important permits and approvals Thursday for Enbridge Energy’s planned Line 3 pipeline replacement across northern Minnesota, setting the long-delayed $2.6 billion project on the road toward beginning construction soon. On October 26, 2018, the PUC issued a Routing Permit. Who’s going to take responsibility for that one?”. (WCAX) PALISADE, Minn. (AP) - … Opponents of the pipeline have escalated their efforts to block construction, while local law enforcement is focused on keeping the … Minnesota regulators granted a stack of important permits and approvals Thursday for Enbridge Energy's planned Line 3 pipeline replacement across northern Minnesota, setting the … “If they get sick, I want a hospital bed available for them,” said Krohn, who spoke to the Guardian in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the university. Workers descend on northern Minnesota to build pipeline. “It seems insane to me that we would do this, especially looking at oil prices and the demand. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota pollution regulators properly considered the construction impacts of Enbridge Energy's plan to replace the 337-mile segment of its aging Line 3 … In a statement to the Guardian, Enbridge said safety was its top priority. Enbridge secured its final permits from the state this week, and workers are already arriving, although lawsuits are ongoing. There’s beeping and big engines and motors, and scraping and crashing. Line 3 is an oil sands pipeline owned and operated since 1968 by Enbridge, a Canadian energy transportation company. Line 3 begins in Alberta, Canada, and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing Minnesota on its way to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. Tim Walz to reverse the Public Utilities Commission approval of Enbridge Line 3 construction, as grassroots opponents mobilized to prevent the startup of drilling to lay the pipe across the Mississippi River. “Who’s going to be liable for the outbreak that kills, you know, 500 people? In addition to regular testing, temperature checks, and masking and distancing requirements, the company is encouraging workers to avoid public spaces whenever possible. Last modified on Fri 4 Dec 2020 15.21 GMT. The hospital has been trying to transfer the sickest patients to bigger facilities, but those hospitals are increasingly at capacity. Line 3 begins in Alberta, Canada, and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing Minnesota on its way to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. In Minnesota, Indigenous-led water protectors have launched a series of direct actions against the construction of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline, which … Kristina Krohn, a hospitalist at the University of Minnesota medical school in Minneapolis who signed the petition, has worked as the triage doctor answering calls from small-town medical providers who need to transfer very sick patients. The arrival of workers in rural Minnesota makes her nervous for her 70-year-old parents, she said. The Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project is described as an integrity and maintenance driven project that would involve the construction of 330 miles of new 36-inch diameter pipeline to replace 282 miles of the existing 34-inch Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. The replacement segments in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin are already complete, leaving only the 337-mile (542-kilometer) stretch in Minnesota. “Our nurses, we’re very stressed out. Last month, a majority of members of an environmental justice advisory committee for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency resigned in protest after the agency approved a key water quality permit for the pipeline. Operationally, the new Line 3 pipeline would continue to transport crude from Canada to the Enbridge terminal facility in Clearbrook for subsequent delivery to Minnesota refineries via interconnected pipeline facilities operated by Minnesota Pipeline Company, and would deliver crude oil to the Superior Wisconsin terminal for subsequent delivery on the Enbridge Mainline System to refineries in the Midwest, Eastern … “Minnesota is currently facing a massive surge in Covid-19 cases. The new Line 3 would be capable of delivering all grades of crude oil and is generally expected to serve the same markets and transport the same product mix as the existing Line 3. Native and non-Native activists organized the Digital Rally to Stop Line 3 on Dec. 9 to inform people about the progress of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in Northern Minnesota and offered ways to take part in digital actions opposing construction of the controversial pipeline. Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement project will replace the existing 34-inch pipe with new 36-inch pipe for 13 miles in North Dakota, 337 miles in Minnesota, and 14 miles in Wisconsin. Following renewed complaints this week, Enbridge has updated its Covid-19 preparedness plan. Once the new Line 3 pipeline has been installed, tested, and is operational, the existing Line 3 pipeline would be permanently deactivated in adherence with federal regulations. Environmental advocates and Native American tribes have fought Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 proposal for years, and now medical professionals are joining in to plead with the governor to halt construction amid the pandemic. White Earth is also considering federal lawsuits over treaty rights. Dan Kraker and Cody Nelson. The replacement of Line 3 will ensure that Enbridge can transport the crude oil required by refiners in Minnesota, neighboring states, Eastern Canada and the Gulf Coast. Nearly 200 Minnesota health professionals are petitioning the governor’s office for an emergency stay of construction, arguing an influx of workers will increase community spread of Covid-19. It has 25 beds and four intensive care beds. This pipeline is fucking rammed down throats of the native people,” said Winona LaDuke, an activist with Honor the Earth who lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota. Line 3 has been, and continues to be, an essential component of Enbridge’s pipeline transportation network to deliver the crude oil needed by refiners, and used by residents. Enbridge Line 3: the “Pandemic Pipeline” The Minnesota Chippewa Tribes petitioned Gov. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. In June 2018, the MN Public Utilities Commission voted to approve a new Line 3. It was proposed in 2014 by Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline company responsible for the largest inland oil spill in the US. People protest against the Enbridge Energy Line 3 oil pipeline project outside the Governor's Mansion on November 14, 2020 in St Paul, Minnesota. An existing pipeline, also named Line 3, was built in 1961 and cuts through Minnesota en route from the Canadian border to Wisconsin. In Minnesota, regulators have given final approval to the Line 3 replacement project. I mean, Governor Walz from Minnesota — really remarkable decision — approved all of the permits for the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. Enbridge has argued the project will create 6,500 direct and indirect local jobs over two years. Our hospital capacity is limited and the resilience of our workforce is being challenged,” their petition reads. December 15, 2020 GMT. Enbridge calls this project a “replacement” because they already have a Line 3 pipeline in their mainline corridor, which transects Northern Minnesota with 6 pipelines in it. People of color have disproportionately suffered during the pandemic. “Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project is the most studied pipeline in Minnesota’s history,” the company said in a statement. The Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project is described as an integrity and maintenance driven project that would involve the construction of 330 miles of new 36-inch diameter pipeline to replace 282 miles of the existing 34-inch Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. Saint Paul, MN 55101-2147, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission- Line 3, Certificate of Need Application Documents, Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project. Shanai Matteson, a climate change advocate who lives next to one of the two sites where the pipeline will cross the Mississippi River, in Aitkin county, said she has seen trucks with mostly out-of-state license plates. A … PALISADE, Minn. (AP) — More than 4,000 workers are expected in northern Minnesota over the next couple weeks to build the contentious Line 3 oil pipeline replacement. What is line 3 Line 3 is a proposed pipeline expansion to bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. It’s going down,” Matteson said. The state’s department of commerce is also challenging the line, saying Enbridge has not proved there is demand for the oil the pipeline would carry. Laalitha Surapaneni, a Minneapolis physician with the group Health Professionals for a Health Climate, countered that the updated plan was not sufficient and “shifts the burden of reducing Covid spread to individual workers”. Any sick contractors will be transported to hospitals close to their permanent residences if they need advanced care. More than 4,000 workers are expected in northern Minnesota over the next couple weeks to help build the contentious Line 3 oil pipeline replacement. Enbridge pays for that? Indigenous-led water protectors on Friday engaged in multiple direct actions against Enbridge’s highly controversial Line 3 tar sands pipeline in Minnesota, on the same day that state regulators denied a request from two tribes to stop the Canadian company from proceeding with the … (John Woods/The Canadian Press) Minnesota regulators approved the final permit Monday for … Riverwood is a “critical access” hospital, a designation for rural hospitals meant to improve healthcare access to small communities. A Minnesota regulatory panel has denied a request by two northern Minnesota tribes to prevent Enbridge Energy from moving forward with its contentious Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement. Construction on … Minnesota regulators deny request To delay Line 3 pipeline “The machines are really, really loud. Minnesota's Line 3 oil pipeline proposal: The basics. Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images As Covid-19 cases surge in Minnesota, an oil … More than 4,000 workers are expected in northern Minnesota over the next couple weeks to build the contentious Line 3 oil pipeline replacement. With a cost of $7.5 billion, Line 3 is the largest project in Enbridge’s history, and would be one of the largest crude oil pipelines in the continent, carrying up to 760,000 barrels per day. “So why are we putting our precious environment at risk and our public health at risk when it’s for something not even needed?”. People protest the Enbridge Energy Line 3 oil pipeline project in St Paul, Minnesota. Native Americans in particular are four times more likely than white Americans to be hospitalized with Covid-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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