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Minnesota regulators approved on Monday the final permit for the replacement of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota, giving the company the green light to begin construction on the $ 2.6 billion project.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency granted a rainwater construction permit for the project, which was the latest hurdle Calgary-based Enbridge had to overcome after years of overhaul and judicial battles. The United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Minnesota Independent Public Services Commission gave their final approvals last week.
The company and its supporters welcomed the decision, but opponents promised to continue their battle.
Line 3 starts in Alberta and cuts a corner of North Dakota before crossing into Minnesota to reach the Enbridge terminal in Superior, Wis. The replacement segments in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin are already operational, leaving only the 542-kilometer stretch in Minnesota. Overall, Enbridge plans to spend $ 2.9 billion on the US side.
“Construction can now begin,” Enbridge spokeswoman Juli Kellner said in a statement that did not specify when this would happen.
Enbridge notified landowners en route in letters earlier this month that construction was expected to “begin approximately November 30”. The company has already said it expects the work to take around nine months.
“This is the culmination of six years of scientific testing and review of the project,” Kellner said.
“Line 3 is poised to provide significant economic benefits to counties, small businesses, Native American communities and union members, bringing 4,200 family-sustaining, mostly local construction jobs, millions of dollars in local spending and tax revenue. additions at a time when Northern Minnesota needs it most. “
‘Crucial milestone’
The Alberta government hailed the news as a victory for the province and for North American energy security.
“This is a crucial milestone, particularly given the challenges the project faced,” Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said in a statement released Monday, praising the employees’ “hard work and perseverance”. by Enbridge.
“Canada and the United States have built the strongest, most interdependent and most reliable energy trading relationship in the world. Alberta has and will continue to be a stable, secure and responsible energy supplier to the United States. Our ongoing energy partnership. it will be crucial for the continent’s post-pandemic recovery. “
The Alberta government has said it will continue to fight for other pipelines as well.
“Pipelines, including Keystone XL and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, remain integral to protecting and enhancing the value of Alberta’s assets,” said Savage. “We will continue to fiercely support their timely completion.”
Two First Nations – the Red Lake and the Chippewa White Earth Bands – asked the PUC last week to suspend approval of the project, saying the influx of construction workers would put residents along the way at greater risk of COVID -19. In addition, a consolidated appeal from environmental and indigenous groups is pending before the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Opponents say the project threatens spills into pristine waters where natives harvest wild rice and that Canadian tar sands oil it intends to transport would exacerbate climate change.
“This project has faced years of in-depth scrutiny”
Enbridge said replacing the deteriorating pipeline, which was built in the 1960s and only runs at half its original capacity, is the best option for protecting the environment while meeting the region’s energy needs. The company said it has put in place rigorous coronavirus testing and screening protocols for workers to protect them and surrounding communities.
“Thousands of our friends and neighbors across Minnesota are looking forward to using their construction capabilities to protect our environment and communities by replacing an existing deteriorating pipeline,” said Joel Smith, Minnesota prime minister. and North Dakota of the International Union of North American Workers.
“This project has faced years of unprecedented scrutiny and obstacles by Democrats and their allies,” Minnesota House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt of Crown said in a statement. But he added that the process “eventually” worked.
“Let’s get to work on the Line 3 pipeline,” he said.
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