Four Arrested Wednesday At Enbridge Line 3 Construction Site

Police arrested four protesters at an Enbridge pipeline construction site in Superior on Wednesday morning.

Authorities say around a dozen protesters gathered at the site. Assistant Police Chief Matt Markon said one protester attached himself to an excavator with a device that had to be removed with a hand-held metal-cutting wheel. Another man secured himself inside a segment of pipe north of the construction site.

One of the protesters was arrested for violating conditions of his bail after previously being arrested along Enbridge’s pipeline construction route.

Markon said there were no damages and no injuries.

There have been a series of protests at Enbridge’s construction site since August. Protesters have said the Line 3 project threatens the environment and tribal treaty rights.

Enbridge is replacing a 12.5-mile segment of its aging Line 3 oil pipeline that runs from Canada to its terminal in Superior. The company said the project is vital for safety and energy security. The line is currently carrying up to 390,000 barrels of oil per day and the replacement pipeline would nearly double its capacity. The company expects to wrap up construction on the Superior side of the project by the end of December.

Minnesota regulators are holding evidentiary hearings on the project, and they will decide in April whether the project is allowed to proceed in Minnesota.