Line 3 Realities

Who made the decision to replace Line 3, and when did it happen?

Several different parties have recommended replacing Line 3. This includes the United States Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, an administrative law judge, as well as Enbridge.

Safe and reliable operations have always been the foundation of Enbridge’s business, and maintaining pipeline integrity is essential to continued safe and reliable operations. As part of Enbridge’s  maintenance program they gathered, and continue to gather extensive integrity data on Line 3. Since 2008, Enbridge has safely operated and maintained Line 3 by implementing voluntary pressure restrictions reducing the average annual capacity of deliveries from 760,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 390,000 bpd. This means the pipeline is only able to carry about half as much oil as it was originally designed.

As a result of the integrity maintenance program, Enbridge concluded that replacement is the best alternative to the required ongoing and increasing maintenance activities for this important part of the region’s energy. Replacing the line that was built in the late 1960s with a new, modern pipe will increase safety and capacity.

In April of 2015, Enbridge submitted their application for replacement of Line 3 to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as part of its integrity and maintenance driven program. Since that time the project has undergone the most extensive Environmental Impact Study in Minnesota history related to pipeline projects. State agency staff spent 16 months drafting a 5,000-page analysis developed in accordance with the law. Over 65 public meetings were held, and thousands of public comments were received into the public record. In 2017, an administrative law judge concluded that from an environmental perspective, replacing Line 3 is superior to maintaining the existing line.

In 2016, Enbridge entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency, both led by Obama appointees at the time. As part of the agreement, the U.S. Government required Enbridge to replace its 1960s era Line 3 pipeline.

On June 28, 2018, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved the Certificate of Need and approved the Route Permit in a 3-2 decision.

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Additional Information:

• Enbridge welcomes Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Environmental Impact Statement adequacy decision
• Administrative Law Judge supports need for Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project
• Minnesota PUC Approves Line 3 Replacement
• FACT CHECK: Obama wanted Line 3 Replacement

What steps have been taken to approve the Line 3 project?

The Line 3 Replacement Project continues to go through an extensive review process that has already taken more than four years. The review process was created to make sure the project is safe, necessary, and beneficial for Minnesota. This process has included:

• Support from both the Obama and Trump administrations;
• 65 public meetings about the project;
• Support by two Administrative Law Judges;
• Unanimous approval by the Minnesota Public Utilities commission;
• Over 10,000 signatures on a letter of support delivered to Governor Walz;
• Resolutions passed or letters of support submitted by 90 elected officials, cities, townships & counties;
• Public comments delivered by State, Federal & Local officials (38 in support and 3 in opposition);
• The most extensive Environmental Impact Study in Minnesota history related to pipeline projects;
• An agreement reached with the Fond du Lac Band for the replacement pipeline to cross the only Native American reservation on the route;
• Between 2013-2015, Enbridge logged 242,125 field hours – equivalent to 27 years of study surveying wetlands and waterbodies, cultural resources, and threatened/endangered species, as well as countless consultations between federal and state agencies, landowners, and local units of government.
• There have been 5,400 contacts with private landowners in 2017; Enbridge now has 99% landowner agreement with only 2 holdouts.

Line 3 has been the most planned and studied pipeline project in Minnesota’s history. What is even more clear through the process is that it’s time to build Line 3.

Additional Information:

• Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: Line 3 Review Process
• Administrative Law Judge supports need for Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project
• Minnesotans for Line 3: Letter to Governor Walz
• Enbridge, Fond du Lac Band reach deal to route Line 3 through reservation

Line 3 had an accident in Grand Rapids, MN in 1991. How do we know something like this won’t happen again?

Enbridge did have a release in Grand Rapids, MN in 1991, but the oil was quickly and thoroughly recovered and there was no permanent damage to the Mississippi River. In fact, this year, that area of the river has been identified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as one of the cleanest and most pristine portions of the river in the state.

Technology has improved significantly to help prevent accidents like this from happening, and if they do happen, to be able to quickly stop the accident from being catastrophic. Replacing Line 3 will ensure the latest technology will be applied to the Line 3 project and the new pipeline.

Between 2008 through 2017 Enbridge has transported over 22 billion barrels of crude oil and liquids with a safe delivery record of 99.99966 percent.  Enbridge’s goal is to strive for zero incidents. From 2011-2016, Enbridge spent $5.15 billion on system integrity and leak detection across their crude oil and liquids pipeline operations. This investment is just one way that Enbridge meets and exceeds government regulations with the latest technology for prevention, monitoring, and emergency response:

Prevention:

• Careful selection and testing of pipe prior to and during manufacture
• X-Ray and Ultrasonic testing of all welds made to a pipeline
• Durable coating systems to protect pipe from corrosion and corrosion inhibitors
• Preventive maintenance digs for any identified features that need closer visual inspection

Monitoring:

• New 24/7 computerized monitoring and control systems provide continuous real-time information.
• In-line inspection tools that regularly travel throughout the pipelines, inspecting on a millimeter by millimeter scale
• Regular inspections and aerial patrols of the rights-of-way

Emergency Response:

• On-call, 24/7 protocol in place for rapid response to any incident
• Equipment and resources available along the Line 3 right-of-way

Additional Information:

• Line 3 Replacement: Pipeline Safety
• Enbridge: Leak prevention and detection
• Enbridge: Preventative maintenance digs
• Enbridge: Safety Operations

How important is Line 3 to Minnesota’s economy?

Line 3 is an integral part of Enbridge’s mainline system. It helps ensure that Minnesota and the surrounding region are connected to a secure and reliable supply of North American crude oil. Line 3 is already an important part of Minnesota’s economy at the state, county, and local community level.  In 2018, Enbridge paid over $30M in property taxes to the State of Minnesota; since 2015, contributed over $3M in community investments through their Ecofootprint Grant program; has over 350 Minnesota-based permanent and temporary employees and supports thousands of jobs at refineries as well other parts of the economy that depend on having reliable fuel and energy.

The construction work to replace Line 3 will be a $2.9B private investment in the U.S., that is approximately two and a half times the size of the US Bank Stadium project. There is no taxpayer money funding the Line 3 construction project.

Line 3 Replacement project’s impact on Minnesota’s economy:

• Infrastructure Investment: Line 3 represents a $2.6 billion investment in Minnesota, this will be the largest privately financed construction project in the State’s history.
• Jobs: 8,600 quality jobs will be created over a two-year period, including 2,800 hospitality jobs, 4,200 construction jobs (half expected to be filled locally), and 1,600 jobs in other sectors.
• Long-term property tax revenue: Enbridge pays more than $30 million in Minnesota property taxes annually; this will increase incrementally by $35 million beginning the first full year of service.
• Local Economic Activity: There will be a significant boost to the economy during construction, as local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses along the route will benefit.
• Support for Minnesota refineries: Line 3 will provide an energy savings on a per-barrel basis by reducing apportionments and ensuring a reliable source of crude oil delivery.

Additional Information:

• Enbridge expansions: What’s in it for Minnesota?
• Enbridge’s economic impact on Minnesota
• Top 10 Reasons the L3RP is vital to Minnesota and the Midwest
• New study: Economic impact of Enbridge Line 3 will be massive
• Enbridge’s $3-million Ecofootprint Grant Program to fund local environmental initiatives

How were concerns of tribal communities addressed throughout the Line 3 planning process?

Enbridge has worked closely with tribal communities on the planning of the Line 3 replacement – In fact, the project involves the most comprehensive Indigenous consultation and engagement initiative in Enbridge’s history.

After meeting with the two tribes directly affected by the project, Line 3 will now follow an alternate route that avoids the Leech Lake reservation, and an agreement has been made with the Fond du Lac Band for passage through their reservation. In addition, Enbridge has earmarked $100 million in pipeline work for Indian contractors and employees, provides Indigenous awareness training to hundreds of employees, and is working with tribes to conduct one of the largest cultural surveys of its kind along the pipeline route.

Additional Information:

• Applying Our Indigenous Peoples Policy: A Focus on Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Program
• Check your facts, Forbes: Our Line 3 replacement is built on Indigenous engagement
• American Indian-owned Gordon construction could be transformed by Enbridge project
• Cultural survey by tribes for Enbridge pipeline could be largest effort of its kind

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