FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2017
CONTACT: Abby Ross (920) 540-5427
MADISON—Today, a bus filled with students and other activists from around Wisconsin traveled to St. Paul for the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearing on an oil pipeline that would bring oil from Canada into Superior, Wisconsin through Northern Minnesota. The bus riders are calling on the commissioners to reject Enbridge’s proposal to construct the Line 3 Replacement pipeline.
This project, along with other upgrades, will bring an additional 880,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil into Superior, increasing the ‘need’ for the Line 61-twin or Line 66 pipeline. The new pipeline would be built in a different corridor than the existing Line 3 Pipeline and the current pipeline would be ‘abandoned’ or left in place after it stops operating.
"Enbridge cares about one thing: money. They’re trying to build and expand unnecessary, climate-disrupting, water-polluting, pipelines across the Midwest all for the sake of profit. I’m traveling to Minnesota to stand up to this corporate bully and oppose their Line 3 and Line 66 pipeline projects,” said Matt Maiorana, Madison resident, and campaigner with Oil Change International.
People across Minnesota have been calling on the PUC to reject the project because of the potential impacts to the climate, important rivers and lakes, and the treaty rights of the impacted tribes. In Wisconsin, landowners, tribes, environmentalists, climate activists, and others have opposed the Line 61-twin.
Mairona continued, “As a Michigan native, I saw firsthand the impact of Enbridge’s Kalamazoo River oil spill - the largest inland oil spill in US history. Now, Enbridge is trying to build more dirty tar sands pipelines when the science is telling us that oil needs to stay in the ground.”
Abby Ross, one of the bus organizers stated, “It is no exaggeration to say the effects are devastating to the health and beauty of the Midwest and those of us who call it home. In Wisconsin, our natural resources are not only a source of pride, but an irreplaceable source of tourism, recreation, and economic assurance. As a young person who has grown in admiration and love for this incredible region of the world, I am speaking out to protect the natural beauty of our home — and my future in it.”
The opposition to these pipelines is gaining steam. The Minnesota Commerce Department recently released its findings that the pipeline project is not needed. In Wisconsin, groups across Wisconsin are putting on a summit bringing together people concerned about the Line 61-Twin pipeline on October 27. The People Over Pipelines event will take place at Hotel Marshfield in Marshfield.
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The Wisconsin Youth Network creates collaborative, intersectional, and communicative spaces for young environmental advocates in Wisconsin. Current campaigns include opposing tar sands pipelines, supporting clean energy, and working towards food justice.
Founded in 1892 by John Muir, the Sierra Club is America’s oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. The Sierra Club’s mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth. The Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter is made up of 15,000 members and supporters working to promote clean energy and protect water resources in Wisconsin.