NW Minnesota News

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is issuing numerous crucial licenses and permits that will allow for the construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project.

“For several years now, Enbridge has dedicated the resources and time to create the safest replacement line that will provide desperately needed jobs for communities across Northern Minnesota,” Sen. Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) said in a press release. “As demonstrated with the most recent permits, the company has shown time and time again that this project is thought out and will benefit our region as a whole. In Northern Minnesota, we need this project. Our communities continue to be hamstrung by the governor’s COVID emergency orders, and his reluctance to support this project shows his metrocentric thinking. Now is the time for Gov. Tim Walz to reach across the aisle and work with us to secure high-paying jobs and safer energy for Minnesotans when we need them most.”

The MPCA shows that the “401 certification requires Enbridge to take every precaution to safeguard 730 acres of wetlands and more than 200 streams in Northern Minnesota. To protect water quality, the 401 certification requires 35 specific conditions to ensure compliance with state water quality standards, including extensive mitigation and post-construction restoration requirements, seasonal restrictions and protections for wild rice waters.”