ICYMI: Minnesota Lawmakers Support Biden Decision to Halt Keystone XL Pipeline

This week Minnesota lawmakers applauded President Biden’s decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, similar to the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in Northern Minnesota, on day one in office. Representatives Jamie Becker-Finn (Roseville) and Heather Keeler (Moorhead), released the following statement in support of this decision, with several House colleagues joining in solidarity:

“First and foremost, we would like to thank President Biden for taking this important proactive step towards addressing climate impacts and hearing the voices of the people over the demands of international oil companies. This is great news for our nation's environment, Indigenous rights, and landowners located along the pipeline’s route.

The Keystone XL project holds many key similarities with Enbridge’s Line 3 and the Dakota Access Pipeline projects. Like Keystone, Line 3 and Dakota Access would endanger our valuable water resources, cause irrevocable harm to our climate, and have been pushed forward despite opposition from impacted tribal communities. As a state and nation, we must strive for a green energy future and make decisive steps to address the harm to our environment perpetuated by the fossil fuel industry. It is our hope that the Biden-Harris administration will continue to listen to the voices of the millions of Americans who see addressing climate change as a top priority.”

MN350 also announced its support for President Biden’s executive action. Andy Pearson, Midwest Tar Sands Coordinator at MN350 said:

“We're thrilled about President Biden's executive order to stop Keystone XL. Tar sands is one of the dirtiest fossil fuel industries and has no place in a green energy economy. We celebrate today with the ranchers and Indigenous organizers and allies who fought hard for this victory. We call on Biden to act with the same urgency to stop the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, which is essentially a KXL clone. Line 3 is this country’s other massive tar sands project and it deserves the same fate. Line 3 is being built across Anishinaabe treaty territory and the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and would have the climate change impact of 50 coal plants. President Biden, now do Line 3.”

Nancy Beaulieu, MN350’s Northern Minnesota organizer and an Indigenous water protector, said:

"Line 3 jeopardizes the health and well being of all living things, just as the Keystone pipeline does. Both pipelines violate treaty obligations with our Native communities to be good neighbors and good stewards of Mother Earth. And to violate Mother Earth is to put ourselves at risk, pure and simple. We are all treaty people. My invitation to President Biden is to work with all of us to imagine a future together that meets treaty obligations. Getting to that future means his administration needs to halt all fossil fuel projects, including Line 3. Otherwise we’re going to reach a point where we can’t turn back, where we’ve simply poisoned too much of the earth."

The growing #StopLine3 movement have two events planned in coming days:

WHAT: Water protectors gather to stand against Enbridge Line 3, “the Pandemic Pipeline,” and speak for the natural world

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23

WHERE: Paul Bunyan Trailhead Parking Lot (100 Front St. S. in Backus, Minn.)

WHAT: A coalition of organizations including MN350, Honor the Earth, and the Sunrise Movement hold a march and rally in downtown St. Paul at the Army Corps of Engineers office to show the strength of the movement against Line 3 and demand President Joe Biden revoke the federal 404 permits for Line 3, the way he just revoked permits for Keystone XL

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29

WHERE: Army Corps of Engineers (180 Fifth St. E. in St. Paul)

Read more:

New York Times: Biden Cancels Keystone XL Pipeline and Rejoins Paris Climate Agreement

New Yorker: Joe Biden’s Cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline Is a Landmark in the Climate Fight

Minnesota House of Representatives: Lawmakers Support Biden Decision to Halt Keystone XL Pipeline