Enbridge Energy’s current Line 3 oil pipeline has been described as an accident waiting to happen by Dan Lipschultz, a former Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioner. To safeguard our environment from this ticking time bomb, the existing pipeline must be replaced.
Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement project was first introduced in 2015, and after years of debate, the matter was eventually approved last summer in a unanimous vote by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
The proposed pipeline route shown above would replace the 50 year old corroding pipeline currently transporting oil from Edmonton, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin. The old pipeline, which began operation in 1968, is currently operating at half capacity (390,000 barrels per day) and poses a major threat to the environment.
Unfortunately, an environmental impact statement from the State Department of Commerce created to determine the effects of spills along the pipeline’s route failed to provide consequences of a possible spill that would harm Lake Superior, forcing the Court of Appeals to reject the plan. The revised plan was approved by the PUC this past week, and Enbridge is expected to start acquiring the necessary permits to construct their pipeline in the coming weeks, but not without obstruction.
Environmental activists continue to push back, arguing that the oil is best left in the ground. They urge that the time is now to make the switch to alternate forms of energy. However, it is important to note that the demand for oil is still high. Without a reliable pipeline to send it through, the oil will be transported by carbon-emitting vehicles that will further pollute the air. Though this pipeline will continue to enable the use of fossil fuels, it will negate any immediate environmental harm.
The existing pipeline has been corroding and cracking, subjecting our lakes and wilderness to harmful pollution, and it will only get worse. Enbridge estimates that the existing pipeline will require 7,000 repairs in the next 15 years if it isn’t replaced. Do we really want to continue running oil through a pipeline at such a great risk? I certainly hope not.
Replacing the pipeline would safeguard the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota from potential oil spills.
It shouldn’t be surprising that a project like this also has massive economic benefits. Enbridge estimates the cost of the Minnesota portion of the project to be $1.5 billion, yielding a $2 billion jump in the economy. Enbridge currently pays over $30 million in taxes, and if the new Line 3 pipeline is built that number will skyrocket, creating impressive economic growth.
The construction of the pipeline will also create thousands of temporary union laborer positions. Over 8,000 jobs will be created for the construction, and over half of them are expected to be local union workers. These positions will collectively be paid more than $325 million.
This proposal generates a huge flow of income for the state and creates union jobs that Minnesotans will fill.
Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, building this new pipeline is in the best interest of both our government and the environment. The existing pipeline poses far more of a threat to the environment than the proposed Line 3 replacement.
Protecting our earth is of paramount importance to Enbridge, and the precautionary measures they are taking with the deactivation of the current pipeline and installation of the new pipeline guarantee no harm to Minnesota’s wilderness.
Though the replacement project seems safe and informed, the environmental activists with Honor the Earth think differently.
They argue that the existing pipeline will simply be abandoned where it lies, a bold and incorrect assumption. Enbridge’s plan for the existing pipeline is well thought out and takes every necessary measure to prevent environmental harm. Enbridge plans to remove and clean all oil from the existing pipeline to minimize the risk it poses to the land, even going as far as to remove some segments of the pipeline where necessary. They will continue to monitor the pipeline for years to come, ensuring that the environment is protected.
Every measure is being taken to ensure the protection of Minnesota while yielding massive economic gain.
Without a new pipeline, oil would have to be transported by road or rail, increasing carbon emissions in a way that is not at all necessary.
The risk of pumping through the old pipeline is growing every day. Environmental activists need to trust the opinion of the PUC and allow this pipeline to be built. The time has come for Minnesotans to take a leap of faith to protect their environment.
The economic and environmental benefits of this proposal are irrefutable; Minnesotans need this pipeline and we need it now.
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