How local law enforcement became Enbridge’s security during the construction of its Line 3 pipeline

It was a last-minute decision with no deliberation

Eight people were arrested at a January Line 3 action. Photo: Tom Thompson

Police and sheriff’s offices should be free of outside influences and treat citizens without prejudice.

The state-approved plan that allowed Enbridge to reimburse local law enforcement to provide security for the Line 3 pipeline project undermined that impartiality. The issue has received growing attention; ABC recently ran an article giving it more national exposure.

Many see the funding plan as a conflict of interest. These payouts biased law enforcement in favor of Enbridge and against Indigenous water protectors and their allies. As of early October, the escrow account had doled out $3 million to public safety agencies. More invoices are coming. Some sheriffs offices even billed for routine patrols of Enbridge worksites.

How did this scheme get approved in the first place?

Enbridge tells EPA it’s already started to decommission the old Line 3 pipeline

Enbridge has reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it began purging the old Line 3 pipeline of its tar sands crude oil on Oct. 1, according to an EPA statement to Healing Minnesota Stories. Enbridge expects to complete the purge by Nov. 5,

Enbridge told the EPA it began cleaning the pipeline with a “cleaning pig” on Oct. 2. It expects to finish the cleaning work by Sept. 30, 2022, the statement said.

If Enbridge meets those goals, it would be in compliance with a 2017 federal Consent Decree.