Native American fight against Trudeau-backed Line 3 pipeline set to intensify[
https://canadians.org/blog/native-ameri ... -intensify ]
December 20, 2016 - 8:39 am
On November 29, the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his approval of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, he also announced his government's approval of the lesser-known 760,000 barrel per day Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.
The approval of the Calgary-based Enbridge Line 3 pipeline means the building of 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000 barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and will now be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrel per day and would have the capacity to carry diluted bitumen for 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year.
The CBC has reported, "Line 3 already has presidential approval, but the replacement project must undergo separate permitting processes in the U.S. [including in Minnesota where there is significant opposition] before construction can begin." Enbridge wants to replace the entire pipeline by December 2017.
Now Argus Media reports, "Enbridge's $7.5bn plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude pipeline has avoided the limelight of other projects, like Energy Transfer's Dakota Access pipeline or TransCanada's Keystone XL. But that may soon change. Fresh off a successful effort to delay the [Dakota Access pipeline], Native American and environmental groups are working to thwart plans for the [Line 3] pipeline. The proposed new route crosses grasslands in Minnesota and could threaten downstream waterways and violate treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather crops, including wild rice, opponents contend."
The article highlights, "Several tribes, which include Ojibwe groups, also known as Chippewa, have harvested wild rice in the region since the mid-1700s, a staple crop of significant spiritual and cultural value. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribal Executive Committee said in a 30 November resolution that the US Army Corps of Engineers should develop new permitting processes under the Clean Water Act for wild rice waters."
Winona LaDuke has commented, “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of protecting our sacred manoomin (wild rice) which is at the root of our cultural and spiritual ways of life with mother earth we call bimaadiziwin, living our life in a good way." Kevin Lee, an attorney with the Minnesota Centre for Environmental Advocacy, says, "The new route travels through a rich water environment and over some of the state's most pristine land." And Frank Bibeau, a member of the Chippewa tribe and an attorney for Honor the Earth, says, "We will be trying to kill off their project every day."
The Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have all expressed concerns about the Line 3 pipeline, as has the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The heavy oil pipeline would pass nearby Regina and Brandon, communities where the Council of Canadians has chapters.
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the Line 3 pipeline in a March 2014 blog.
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
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http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to challenge Enbridge Line 3 pipeline approval in Federal Court[
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brent-p ... -3-pipelin ]
By Brent Patterson | January 3, 2017
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is challenging the Trudeau government's approval of the Line 3 pipeline.
Grand Chief Derek Nepinak has posted on Facebook:
"Today our legal team has filed an appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal to challenge the approval of the Enbridge Line 3 replacement expansion project. Many thanks to the good people at the public interest law centre for working with us over Christmas to get this in on time..!!"
On November 29, the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his approval of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, he also announced his government's approval of the lesser-known 760,000 barrel per day Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.
If not stopped, the approval of the Calgary-based Enbridge Line 3 pipeline would mean the building of 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000-barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and would be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day and would have the capacity to do so for the next 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year. Enbridge wants to replace the entire pipeline by December 2017.
In November 2015, Nepinak commented:
"Implementing the TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission] and the UNDRIP [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] would require a consultation protocol outside of the National Energy Board (NEB) process on the matters of Energy East and the Line 3 Replacement in the northern Plains (Treaty 1-11 territories). As it stands now, the only communities who are able to participate in the NEB consultation are the ones who can front the costs of participation in the hearings on a limited cost recovery budget. This means that if you don't have the money to pay for consultation, you don't get any consultation."
It was left to eight highly respected Anishinaabe (Ojibway), Nehetho (Cree) and Dakota Elders to invite National Energy Board members, government, industry, and the public to an Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers Gathering at Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba in late November 2015 to share statements about Line 3.
The Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have also expressed concerns about the Line 3 pipeline.
The CBC has reported, "Line 3 already has presidential approval, but the replacement project must undergo separate permitting processes in the U.S. [including in Minnesota where there is significant opposition] before construction can begin." And Argus Media has highlighted:
"Fresh off a successful effort to delay the [Dakota Access pipeline], Native American and environmental groups are working to thwart plans for the [Line 3] pipeline. The proposed new route crosses grasslands in Minnesota and could threaten downstream waterways and violate treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather crops, including wild rice, opponents contend."
That article notes:
"Several tribes, which include Ojibwe groups, also known as Chippewa, have harvested wild rice in the region since the mid-1700s, a staple crop of significant spiritual and cultural value. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribal Executive Committee said in a 30 November resolution that the US Army Corps of Engineers should develop new permitting processes under the Clean Water Act for wild rice waters."
Winona LaDuke has commented, "I cannot emphasize enough the importance of protecting our sacred manoomin (wild rice) which is at the root of our cultural and spiritual ways of life with mother earth we call bimaadiziwin, living our life in a good way." Kevin Lee, an attorney with the Minnesota Centre for Environmental Advocacy, says, "The new route travels through a rich water environment and over some of the state's most pristine land." And Frank Bibeau, a member of the Chippewa tribe and an attorney for Honor the Earth, says, "We will be trying to kill off their project every day."
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the Line 3 pipeline in a March 2014 blog.
- - -
Brent Patterson is the Political Director at the Council of Canadians. He works with the Council's chairperson Maude Barlow, its campaigners, organizers and chapters across the country on trade, energy, water, and health care issues. The Council has political staff in Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Halifax, Delhi, Cape Town and Mexico City. You can follow Brent on Twitter @CBrentPatterson.= = = = = =
Quill Plains (Wynyard) chapter concerned Line 3 pipeline threatens the Qu’Appelle Watershed[
https://canadians.org/blog/quill-plains ... -watershed ]
March 6, 2017 - 10:51 pm
(MAP) The Council of Canadians Quill Plains (Wynyard) chapter in Saskatchewan is opposed to the Line 3 tar sands pipeline.
On November 29, 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government's approval of the 760,000 barrel per day pipeline.
If not stopped, the Calgary-based Enbridge Line 3 pipeline would mean the building of 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000 barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and would be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day and would have the capacity to do so for the next 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year. Enbridge wants to replace the entire pipeline by December 2017.
Water concerns The Qu'Appelle Valley Environmental Association (QVEA) will be discussing at their monthly meeting (on 8 March) new information on how the pipeline will impact the Qu’Appelle Watershed. [
http://qvea.ca/campaigns.html ]
The QVEA says, "[The pipeline] will crisscross fourteen of our watercourses, including our major rivers – tunneling under the South Saskatchewan River, south of Outlook, and under the Qu’Appelle River, near Bethune."
The CBC adds, "The proposed new route [in the United States] crosses grasslands in Minnesota and could threaten downstream waterways and violate treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather crops, including wild rice, opponents contend."
Pipeline spillsThe CBC also notes, "In 1999, Line 3 ruptured near Pilot Butte, east of Regina, releasing more than 20,000 barrels of heavy crude oil."
The QVEA adds, "Husky Oil’s 250,000 litre oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River in 2016 made us all more aware of the threat that pipelines present to our waterways and to our drinking water. The latest major Saskatchewan spill occurred on January 20th, 2017 on Ocean Man First Nations. This 200,000 litre spill involved a Tundra Energy pipeline, which has no record of ever being inspected. A few weeks later, Tundra Energy had yet another oil spill near Storthoaks, southeast of Regina."
It highlights, "These are just the tip of the iceberg."
Consultation and Indigenous rights And it notes, "Saskatchewan citizens were never given the opportunity to scrutinize or approve Line 3. It wasn’t debated in our last provincial election; there was never a social license to proceed. There was never consent from indigenous communities."
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs along with the Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have all expressed concerns about the pipeline. The Chippewa in Minnesota have also said they will work to stop the pipeline to protect their sacred manoomin (wild rice).
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the new Line 3 pipeline in a March 2014 blog.
Tags: chapters
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Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
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https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Minnesota to decide on Trudeau-backed Line 3 tar sands pipeline in April 2018[
https://canadians.org/blog/minnesota-de ... april-2018 ]
August 17, 2017 - 5:30 pm
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline in November 2016, but a review process is still underway in Minnesota.
The building of Line 3 would mean 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000 barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and would be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrel per day and would have the capacity to carry diluted bitumen for 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year.
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the new Line 3 pipeline in a March 2014 blog. The Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have also expressed concerns about the Line 3 pipeline, as has the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The heavy oil pipeline would pass nearby Regina and Brandon, communities where the Council of Canadians has chapters.
On August 4, Global News reported, "Enbridge says construction is now underway on the Line 3 replacement pipeline in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Suzanne Wilton, a spokesperson for Enbridge, said construction 'kicked off in earnest' at Hardisty, Alta., this week."
The CBC has reported, "Line 3 already has presidential approval, but the replacement project must undergo separate permitting processes in the U.S. [including in Minnesota where there is significant opposition] before construction can begin."
Now the Associated Press reports, "Minnesota regulators on Thursday [August 17] released the final environmental review of Enbridge Energy's proposal to replace its aging Line 3 oil pipeline, which carries Canadian tar sands crude across northern Minnesota to Wisconsin. The review will inform the state Public Utilities Commission as it decides whether the project is needed and what route it should take. The commission is scheduled to decide by Dec. 11 whether the final review meets the legal requirements, and to decide on April 30 whether to give its ultimate approval to the pipeline and its route. Administrative law judges will hold hearings and take more public testimony along the way."
That article adds, "Enbridge's preferred route has drawn opposition because it would cut through the Mississippi River headwaters region and the pristine lake country of northern Minnesota, where Ojibwe bands harvest wild rice and hold treaty rights. Native American groups including Honor the Earth, which is led by Winona LaDuke, have threatened mass protests that would echo the fight over the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the National Congress of American Indians are among the native groups that have passed formal resolutions against the project."
Anticipating approval in April 2018, Enbridge expects to have the pipeline in service by the second half of 2019.
The Council of Canadians stands in solidarity with Canadian, American and Indigenous campaigns to stop Line 3.
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[
https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Direct actions, #PaddleToProtect & Camp Turtle Island challenge Trudeau-backed Line 3 pipeline[
https://canadians.org/blog/direct-actio ... 3-pipeline ]
September 1, 2017 - 7:27 pm
#PaddleToProtect
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline in November 2016, but resistance to it being built is growing.
The building of Line 3 would mean 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000 barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and would be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrel per day and would have the capacity to carry diluted bitumen for 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Construction on the pipeline has now begun in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Wisconsin, while the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will not make its final decision on the pipeline until April 30, 2018.
Direct actions in Wisconsin
The Duluth News Tribune reports, "Six people were arrested on trespassing charges [on August 29] after their protest stopped work on a segment of Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline construction in rural Douglas County [in Wisconsin]. People identifying themselves as water protectors shut down heavy equipment operations for a third time in nine days near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, southwest of Superior. ...The protests were calling for the removal of Line 3. ...[The pipeline] is currently under construction in Canada and Wisconsin, and awaiting the outcome of a review process in Minnesota."
The article adds, "Three of those arrested, who all were between ages 23-38, were listed as being from Cloquet [in Minnesota]; the others were from Michigan, South Dakota and Saskatchewan."
Water protectors also shut down construction on the pipeline in Wisconsin for several hours on August 21.
#PaddleToProtect in Minnesota
The Associated Press has previously reported, "[Line 3] would cut through the Mississippi River headwaters region and the pristine lake country of northern Minnesota, where Ojibwe bands harvest wild rice and hold treaty rights. ...The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the National Congress of American Indians are among the native groups that have passed formal resolutions against the project."
Tomorrow (September 2) Indigenous youth will complete their 22-day 400 kilometre canoe voyage through the Mississippi headwaters in opposition to the pipeline.
The Stop Line 3 website notes, "This epic journey culminates at the historic Big Sandy Lake [in Minnesota], where hundreds of Ojibwe people died of starvation, exposure, and disease, after the US Government failed to deliver the rations and annuities in 1850. Line 3 threatens the Big Sandy and Flowage watershed, a vital wild rice bed that local communities depend on to this day. The youth have invited local leaders to speak about the urgency of joining together to protect our water."
Water Protector Camp in Minnesota
And Camp Turtle Island has been established at the intersection of County 4 and Highway 113 at the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. Their website notes, "The wild ricing season begins at the end of [August], the camp will be focused on gathering natural foods and medicines before winter comes so that we can feed the local community, the camp, and other water protector camps around the US and Canada."
In Canada
The Qu'Appelle Valley Environmental Association (QVEA) in Saskatchewan has stated, "[The Line 3 pipeline] will crisscross fourteen of our watercourses, including our major rivers – tunneling under the South Saskatchewan River, south of Outlook, and under the Qu’Appelle River, near Bethune."
Furthermore, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs along with the Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have all expressed concerns about the pipeline.
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the new Line 3 pipeline in March 2014 and stands in solidarity with Canadian, American and Indigenous campaigns to stop the pipeline.
#StopLine3
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[
https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Minnesota Department of Commerce rejects Trudeau-approved Line 3 pipeline[
https://canadians.org/blog/minnesota-de ... 3-pipeline ]
September 11, 2017 - 6:56 pm
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has concluded "that Minnesota would be better off if Enbridge proposed to cease operations of the existing Line 3, without any new pipeline being built." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved the construction of the new Line 3 pipeline in November 2016 (at the same time he approved the 890,000 barrel per day Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline).
The building of Line 3 would mean 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior Wisconsin, which is situated on the western tip of Lake Superior. The original 390,000 barrel per day Line 3 pipeline was built in 1968 and would be decommissioned and left underground. The new larger pipeline would carry 760,000 barrel per day and would have the capacity to carry diluted bitumen for 50-60 years. Enbridge admits the pipeline would mean 19 to 26 megatonnes of upstream greenhouse gas emissions each year.
The Associated Press now reports, "The Minnesota Department of Commerce says Enbridge Energy has failed to establish the need for its proposal to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. Instead, the department says it might be better to just shut down the existing line."
Minnesota Public Radio adds, "The state Commerce Department dealt a setback Monday [September 11] to a proposed oil pipeline across northern Minnesota, declaring the environmental and socioeconomic risks of letting Enbridge Energy replace its aging Line 3 pipeline across Minnesota outweigh its 'limited benefits'."
Construction on the pipeline began this summer in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Wisconsin, while the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will not make its final decision on the pipeline until April 30, 2018.
The PUC is accepting public comments over the next few months.
The Associated Press has previously reported, "[Line 3] would cut through the Mississippi River headwaters region and the pristine lake country of northern Minnesota, where Ojibwe bands harvest wild rice and hold treaty rights. ...The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the National Congress of American Indians are among the native groups that have passed formal resolutions against the project."
In Canada, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs along with the Ochapowace, Keeseekoose, George Gordon and Pasqua First Nations in Saskatchewan have all expressed concerns about the pipeline.
The Qu'Appelle Valley Environmental Association (QVEA) in Saskatchewan has stated, "[The Line 3 pipeline] will crisscross fourteen of our watercourses, including our major rivers – tunneling under the South Saskatchewan River, south of Outlook, and under the Qu’Appelle River, near Bethune."
The Council of Canadians first expressed opposition to the building of the new Line 3 pipeline in March 2014 and stands in solidarity with Canadian, American and Indigenous campaigns to stop the pipeline.
#StopLine3
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[
https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Timelines in fight vs TransMountain, Keystone XL, Line 3 and Line 10 pipelines[
https://canadians.org/blog/timelines-fi ... -pipelines ]
October 7, 2017 - 4:01 pm
(PHOTO: The Council of Canadians protesting the Kinder Morgan project at the Burnaby export terminal, May 2016.)Now that the Energy East pipeline has been defeated, the Council of Canadians is refocusing its efforts to stop the Kinder Morgan, Keystone XL, Line 3 and Line 10 pipelines. Our overall objective is to win a 100 per cent clean energy economy by 2050.
Added together, the Kinder Morgan pipeline (890,000 barrels per day), Keystone XL (830,000 bpd), Line 3 (760,000 bpd) and Line 10 (73,000 bpd) would represent a flow of 2.55 million barrels a day of carbon intensive heavy oil for a 40-50 year period.
All these pipelines mean a continued expansion of the tar sands, all cross waterways and sources of drinking water, and all cross Indigenous lands and territories without adequate consultation and consent. We believe the Trudeau government is not demonstrating "climate leadership" with its support of these projects.
Now the Canadian Press reports, "It's more vital than ever that three other pipelines to oil export markets proceed as planned in the wake of TransCanada Corp. shelving its Energy East pipeline, says AltaCorp Capital analyst Dirk Lever. Lever says [that] the pipeline transportation system out of Western Canada will remain tight for years."
Canada currently exports about 3.4 million barrels per day of oil to the United States. The article notes that RBC Capital Markets projects tar sands production to increase by 900,000 barrels per day in the next five years. It adds industry experts predict that production could reach 5 million barrels per day by 2030. And it notes that the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says Canada will exceed its current and projected pipeline capacity by 2030 with Energy East now shelved.
Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain (Alberta, British Columbia)
Trudeau approved the Trans Mountain pipeline in November 2016. It is currently being challenged in a Federal Court of Appeal that runs to October 13. Kinder Morgan had intended to begin construction on the pipeline during the first week of September. The British Columbia government has stated that the company cannot begin construction on public lands, but it does have National Energy Board approval to work on private lands, including the Burnaby export terminal. Construction could begin on that terminal at any time. Kinder Morgan wants the pipeline to be in-service by late-2019.
TransCanada Keystone XL (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska)
Both the Trudeau government and Trump administration back the Keystone XL pipeline. TransCanada is currently seeking long-range commitments from oil producers and that will inform its review of the pipeline's viability. The Nebraska Public Service Commission is expected to make a final decision by November 23 on whether to accept or reject a permit for the pipeline or mandate a rerouting of it. TransCanada says it will make its final investment decision in December.
Enbridge Line 3 (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Wisconsin, Minnesota)
The Trudeau government approved this pipeline in November 2016. Construction on the pipeline began this past summer in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Wisconsin, while the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will not make its final decision on the pipeline until April 30, 2018. Enbridge wants the pipeline to be operational by early-2019.
Enbridge Line 10 (Ontario, New York)
The National Energy Board approved 35-kilometres of this pipeline in southern Ontario this past January. Pipelines under 40 kilometres in length do not require Cabinet approval. In late-August, CATCH reported, "Thousands of trees are being cut down across rural Hamilton to make way for the controversial expansion of the Enbridge Line 10 oil export pipeline." Enbridge expects the pipeline to be in service by 2018.
#StopKM #NoKXL #StopLine3 #StopLine10
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
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