Dear Commissioner Bishop:

I am proud to stand with Pipeliners Local 798 to express my support for Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project, a $2.6 billion investment in the region’s energy infrastructure network, as it seeks the 401 certification from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  

Approval delays for Line 3 have been particularly frustrating because the project has already undergone the most extensive environmental study of a pipeline project in Minnesota state history. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and certificate of need was recently approved – for the second time – by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The state Court of Appeals had reversed the PUC’s previous approval of the 13,500-page FEIS, sending the FEIS back to the PUC for further review and delaying construction beyond 2020.

This delay has already denied millions of dollars in tax revenue to local communities and continues to threaten thousands of pipeliner jobs, many belonging to Local 798 members. Local residents and members of the workforce cannot afford any further delays in the permitting process.

I believe Line 3 has earned the 401 certification for the following key reasons:

• The approved FEIS, the most extensive environmental study of a pipeline project in Minnesota state history, reflects a comprehensive interagency effort that included the environmental branch of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources;
• The final route reflects years of environmental and cultural studies that have resulted in more than 50 route changes of the line;
• Enbridge has committed to plans to restore 99.98% of the potential wetland impacts during construction;
• Project construction will create thousands of good jobs for members of the workforce, including 1,500 jobs in Minnesota alone;
• Construction and operational activity will generate tens of millions of dollars in critical tax revenue for communities across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

This project will support good jobs for local craftsmen, generate critical economic activity and, once in service, will provide access to a reliable and secure energy supply to meet growing demands. This is why I urge the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to approve the 401 certification without delay.

Signed,

Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project Supporter

*PLEASE NOTE: Local 798 may submit your signature to state and federal regulatory bodies, as well as elected officials to support the Line 3 Replacement project.