ST. PAUL – State Rep. Steve Green, R-Fosston, issued the following statement Monday in response to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources beginning a 60-day comment period related to permits and licenses for the proposed Enbridge Line 3 replacement project in northern Minnesota:
“This project already has been the subject of intense scrutiny, turned inside out and upside down over the last four years before the Public Utilities Commission provided unanimous approval for work to begin,” Green said. “Then Gov. Tim Walz put the project back in court and the DNR says we need to spend another 60 days submitting comments, which I can only guess will lead us to even more delays and red tape. It’s pretty easy to see why people get frustrated with our government and I hope people bring the DNR an avalanche of comments in support of the Line 3 project because we can’t afford to be silent. The agencies have rigged the system and Twin Cities environmentalists will stop at nothing in their attempts to stall and deal this project a death by 1,000 paper cuts.”
According to the DNR’s website, comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. May 17. Comments may be submitted online at mndnr.gov/line3. Submissions are limited to 9,999 characters per application and up to four attachments, each less than 20 megabytes. Comments may also be mailed to the DNR at 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul MN 55155-4025, Attention Line 3 Replacement Applications.
-30-