Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission held hearings at the MN Senate Building in Downtown St. Paul regarding the 2nd Revised Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Line 3 Replacement Project.
The Commission heard comments directly from the public on Friday, Jan. 31st and statements from the Official Parties involved with the Proceedings on Monday, Feb. 3. As part of the agenda, the PUC had to determine whether the FEIS was now adequate having factored in a potential oil spill in the Lake Superior Watershed and then, based on whether or not the updated spill modeling was “adequate” they had to determine whether to re-issue the Certificate of Need and Route Permit for the project.
Although the Commission ultimately voted three-to-one to approve all three of the agenda items, unlike the 2018 summer decision the outcome was not unanimous. Commissioner Schuerger, who was appointed by Governor Dayton in 2016 to the PUC, dissented against all three items and voted against the motions of the floor.
We documented the hearings and compiled a recap with reactions from several of the environmental groups responding to the decision, including Andy Pearson with MN350, Winona LaDuke with Honor the Earth, Scott Strand representing Friends of the Headwaters, Akilah Sanders-Reed & Brent Murcia with the Youth Climate Intervenors and others involved either with the official proceedings or in supporting groups.
To view & share this extended recap video via the SEEKJOY Facebook Page, click here!
We also compiled this graphic below of part of the statement made by Commissioner Schuerger in his dissent against the approval of the Environmental Impact Statement. To view the image post on our Facebook page, click here: https://www.facebook.com/SEEKJOYco/photos/a.444838142366199/1487722568077746
