The Minnesota Department of Commerce will host public meetings following the release of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Line 3 replacement project.
The meetings are part of a public comment period that will run through July 10. Of the 23 scheduled meetings, four are in the Brainerd area-in Brainerd, Wadena, Staples and Little Falls.
The meetings will address Canadian energy company Enbridge's plan to construct a new Line 3 oil pipeline and decommission the current Line 3.
Members of the public may comment by email, mail, fax or in person at the scheduled meetings.
The following meetings are scheduled locally:
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• 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Central Lakes College, Classroom E54, 501 W. College Drive, Brainerd.
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Maslowski Wellness and Research Center, 17 Fifth St. SW, Wadena.
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. June 14, Staples Community Center, 425 Fourth St. NE, Staples.
• 6-9 p.m. June 14, Initiative Foundation, 405 First St. SE, Little Falls.
Visit https://mn.gov/commerce/energyfacilities/line3/ to see the list of all meetings.
Each meeting will begin with a one-hour open house, during which information stations with posters about specific topics in the draft EIS will be on display. Agency representatives will be available to discuss the draft EIS, and attendees will have the opportunity to provide individual oral comments or submit written comments on the draft EIS to a court reporter for the official record.
Following the open house will be a 10-minute presentation explaining the purpose of the EIS, the regulatory review process and the timeline for the Public Utilities Commission to make its final decision.
The remainder of the time will be an open comment period, providing an opportunity to speak and offer comments on the draft EIS for the official record. A professional meeting facilitator will establish an order for people to speak, and time available for each comment will depend on the number of people.
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An administrative law judge will oversee the meetings and will submit a report to the Public Utilities Commission with findings of fact, conclusions of law and recommendations. The commission will then decide whether Enbridge will be allowed to move forward with the project, and which route the new line should take if allowed.
A decision is expected in about a year.
