Pipeline protesters wait outside the PUC
by: Elana Zien
I still remember the very first time that I felt absolutely infuriated over an environmental and political issue in Minnesota. I was in college and had just gotten home after a long trip to the Boundary Waters. After being disconnected for three weeks, I began the dreaded task of opening my email and getting caught up with everything that I had missed. I was astonished to find, towards the top of my inbox and email about sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters. I was furious that anyone would even consider endangering a place so pristine and beautiful, so I began doing research, signing petitions, writing letters, and talking to people. It was my first real experience with environmental activism. I also distinctly remember the first time I was introduced to the pipeline issue in Minnesota, at the Sierra Club office in Minneapolis. Almost three years later, I’ve spent many hours in that office, doing my best to help fight dirty oil pipelines in our state.
For anyone who hasn’t heard about the pipeline fight in Minnesota or maybe finds the protracted political battle to be incredibly confusing, here’s what I think you really need to know:
For years, Enbridge has been trying to build a completely new dirty oil pipeline under the guise of replacing an old one. They’ve done everything in their power to attempt to fast-track the process, and we’ve done everything in ours to try to stop them. Despite the unclear political process, I believe that we’ve been trying to stop them for two very simple reasons:
This pipeline is an environmental and racial-justice issue that would place an even further burden on populations that already face many challenges.
Minnesota doesn’t need another pipeline or more oil, as stated by the MN Department of Commerce; we shouldn’t have to face the consequences of an inevitable and disastrous spill.
I remember that first time that I felt infuriated; and it hasn’t been the last time.
Recently, Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission made a critical decision about the direction that this pipeline fight would take. They were responsible for deciding whether a certificate of need and route permit would be issued to Enbridge. Although it was the PUC’s duty to make a decision in the best interest of our state, they chose instead to issue the certificate and give Enbridge the go-ahead to build a larger Line 3 replacement pipeline, along a route that violates treaty rights. Everyone who has been involved in the fight against Line 3 felt betrayed, dismayed, and, frankly, incredibly angry. I believe that everyone in Minnesota should feel the same. Read more about why the Sierra Club opposes Line 3 and how you can get invovled here. This decision was wrong and the PUC knows it.
Over the last couple weeks, we have all been trying to process these feelings and find the strength to keep fighting despite the injustice that the PUC is perpetuating. We’ve felt defeated and lost, but we also know that we won’t stop resisting at every step of the way. Moving forward seems like it will be a monumental effort, but this effort will be more important than ever in the weeks and months to come. We should all be angry, but we should try to find a way to channel that anger and turn it into pressure and more resistance than ever. I won’t stop fighting, and I know that there’s an entire movement out there that feels the same.