ST. PAUL – State Rep. Steve Green, R-Fosston, issued the following statement regarding today’s vote by the Public Utilities Commission to deny the Gov. Tim Walz administration’s petition to reconsider the certificate of need for the Line 3 replacement pipeline. This is the third unanimous vote the PUC has taken to uphold the certificate of need decision. Walz must now decide whether he will appeal and continue the state’s legal efforts to challenge the Line 3 replacement project.
“The governor has been handed a golden opportunity to redeem himself after making the mistake of throwing this project back in court during his first month or so in office,” Green said. “It is time for him to put pride aside, stop siding with Twin Cities environmentalists and accept this unanimous decision put forward by his own commission so Line 3 replacement can move forward after more than four years of heavy scrutiny. Many good jobs, millions of dollars in property tax revenue and improved environmental protection are all at stake. Dragging this issue back to the courts at this point would be nothing more than partisan gamesmanship and a waste of tax dollars.”
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