ST. PAUL – State Rep. Steve Green, R-Fosston, harshly criticized Gov. Tim Walz after the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced Tuesday it is once again appealing the Line 3 replacement project’s certificate of need that was approved by the Public Utilities Commission – including Walz's own appointees.
“The governor’s actions are just devastating for the people in our area who are looking to get back to work, only to have him pull the rug out from under them time and time again,” Green said. “This project has been subjected to study after study and has cleared hurdle after hurdle. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in private investment are just waiting to happen right here in our region, but the governor once again is standing in the way. The governor shut down our state’s economy months ago and now is adding insult to injury by stopping the kind of economic boost people in our part of the state desperately need. This is extremely disappointing and, once again, the governor is siding with Twin Cities liberals instead of doing what’s right for Greater Minnesota.”
This is at least the third time Walz has chosen to delay and obstruct the Line 3 pipeline. Reports indicate the project would create more than 8,600 jobs and bring more than $2 billion in private investment to Minnesota, particularly in the northern part of the state.
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