ST.PAUL, Minn. —A request by two Chippewa bands to stop the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline upgrade and rerouting project was denied by the state Public Utilities Commission. The commission voted 4-1. The Red Lake and White Earth bands of Chippewa had asked the commission to halt the pipeline, citing a pending appeal in the courts. The commission said further delaying construction would hurt workers who already had arrived in northern Minnesota. Also the commission noted that Governor Tim Walz’s conclusion that Enbridge has agreed to meet COVID-19 safety protocols.
The vote
Voting to deny the Chippewa request: PUC Chair Katie Sieben and commissioners John Tuma and Joseph Sullivan. Dissenting: Commissioner Matthew Schuerger.
The status
Enbridge began construction of the long-delayed $2.6 billion project earlier in the week after the state Pollution Control Agency gave its approval. The project is expected to create 4,200 construction jobs, although there will be hardly any post-construction jobs.