ST. PAUL, MN—Representative Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, and Senator Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, expressed disappointment in the Dayton administration’s recommendation this week that the Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline should be shut down and not replaced. The aging pipeline was ordered replaced by the federal government during the Obama administration, and has been subject to unprecedented public review and comment. This latest recommendation by the Department of Commerce to the Public Utilities Commission is yet another roadblock to this critical project.
“The Department of Commerce and Dayton Administration have put up another barrier to the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Pipeline, once again siding with environmental extremism instead of common sense,” said Rep. Fabian. “Shutting down this pipeline will have a substantial impact on rural Minnesota. Our local counties, school districts and townships will lose critical property tax revenue, and what’s more, jobs will be affected and there will be fewer workers patronizing local businesses like our grocery stores and motels. Plain and simple, bureaucrats in Saint Paul are advancing policies that hurt Greater Minnesota.”
Enbridge, which is hoping to replace the entire Line 3 pipeline, plans to spend a total of $8.2 billion on the project, with approximately $3 billion of that in Minnesota. The project has already started in both Canada and Wisconsin.
“Canada and Wisconsin are moving forward with this project, so why is Minnesota once again the outlier that can’t see common sense?” asked Sen. Johnson. “Talking with our locally elected officials and residents in Northwest Minnesota, it’s clear that this project is not only necessary but widely supported in our area. I am frustrated the Dayton administration and Department of Commerce are once again dragging their feet on this project and throwing roadblock after roadblock in the way of this critical pipeline replacement. It seems they are more interested in working for special interests instead of supporting citizens, industry and good-paying jobs.”
The Public Utilities Commission is taking public commentary on the Line 3 Replacement Project through November 22, 2017, and Rep. Fabian and Sen. Johnson are encouraging Minnesotans to share their input. You can visit https://mn.gov/puc/line3/ to learn more and submit commentary.