The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency finally have begun issuing permits for the Line 3 Replacement Project, pushing it close to construction (“ Agencies grant permits to Enbridge Line 3 ,” Nov. 14).
If we are lucky, remaining permits will be granted within the next several weeks. For once in this process it feels like we have some momentum going forward. We need to keep our foot on the pedal, though, and remember why this project is so important.
The Line 3 Replacement Project will replace a 60-years-old-plus pipeline with state-of-the-art technology. This pipeline will transport the oil used at Minnesota refineries to make fuel for Minnesota and surrounding areas. The project will put more than 4,000 union laborers to work for an extended period of time and bring more than $2 billion to Minnesota.
It will help struggling small businesses across northern Minnesota. It will also help ensure we don’t have to worry about thousands of tanker cars crossing our rails or oil trucks crowding our highways.
It is good to see the long process appears to be finishing and that our state is finally ready for this project to start. Building Line 3 is exactly what our state needs right now — and in the future. We need to protect our state and Minnesotans. Building Line 3 does both.
ADVERTISEMENT
Let’s get Minnesota to work by fully permitting Line 3 and by breaking ground on this extremely valuable project.
Tony Nygaard
McKinley
The writer is the mayor of McKinley.
