Indigenous and Environmental Advocates Speak Out Against Line 3 at Duluth Hearing

Duluth, MN -- Indigenous and environmental advocates opposed to Line 3 attended a public hearing today on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) updated environmental impact statement for the controversial tar sands pipeline. 

The PUC was forced to redo its analysis following a ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals that rejected the PUC's approval of the project because their environmental review failed to adequately address the potential impact of a spill in the Lake Superior watershed. Their latest analysis yet again downplays the risk Line 3 would pose to critical water resources. 

Dozens of Line 3 opponents attended the hearing to testify in opposition to Line 3 and raise concerns about the pipeline’s threat to Minnesota’s clean water and Indigenous rights. 

“Line 3 was a bad idea when it was proposed and it’s a bad idea now. This third try of an EIS is inadequate and inaccurate, especially when the modeling was paid for by Enbridge,” said Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth. “I’m presenting to you a tar sands ball that was found in the Kalamazoo River five  years after the spill. That’s what we would have to look forward to if this is built.”

“Enbridge has fewer permits today for Line 3 than they did a year ago because there’s no justification for building this dirty tar sands pipeline through our communities and waterways,” said Sierra Club North Star Chapter Director Margaret Levin. “We’ll continue to fight for a clean energy future and to ensure that Line 3 is never built.” 

“It's my inherent responsibility as Ma'iingan doodem ‘wolf clan’ to protect the environment and the people,” said Dawn Goodwin of the RISE Coalition. “That's what my allies and I are here to do.” 

"This pipeline has been shown over and over to be a bad deal for Minnesotans," said Andy Pearson, Midwest Tar Sands Coordinator with MN350. "The revised EIS shows that an oil spill would be a disaster for the St. Louis River estuary, a critical part of the Lake Superior ecosystem. Yet it needs to be better -- it ignores the impacts to some wetlands and natural areas, and ignores impacts from a spill in Wisconsin completely. We share the same lake. And in a time of climate crisis, we can't possibly approve a pipeline that would have the same impact as 50 coal power plants. The PUC needs to send this EIS back for more work, and deny the certificate of need and the route permit."

“We cannot build Line 3 and honor our treaties,” said Bemidji-based activist Jami Gaither. “We need to listen to young people demanding action on climate and reject this pipeline.” 

“Lake Superior is an entity. She gives us life. If the water dies, we all die,” said Babette Sandman, Chair of Duluth Indigenous Commission and Elder from White Earth Band of Ojibwe.