A dozen people tried to halt construction on Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 replacement project again just south of Superior on Monday. The company is replacing a 12.5-mile segment of the 1960s-era pipeline in Wisconsin.
Line 3 carries up to 390,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior.
Douglas County Sheriff Tom Dalbec said about a dozen officers and firefighters from the town of Superior Fire Department responded to the call.
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“We’re assuming it was a group of protesters [who] showed up with an older vehicle that they, subsequently, somehow tipped upside down onto its roof and in the process tried to block an access road into the Line 3 project,” he said.
Dalbec said one man had secured himself to the vehicle and was later arrested. No one else was apprehended. He said the unidentified man is being held in the Douglas County Jail. Dalbec said there were no injuries.
The replacement project has been the subject of several protests and arrests over the last few weeks. Environmental and tribal groups oppose the project because they say it threatens the region’s pristine resources and culturally significant wild rice beds.
Enbridge spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said protesters have declined any dialogue with the company to resolve differences.
In a statement released on Monday, she said, “The safety of the public, the environment and our workers is our main focus at Enbridge every day. Our goal is to make sure our assets are built, maintained and operated safely.”
The replacement project is expected to cost around $2.9 billion on the U.S. side. If permitted and built in Minnesota, the line would carry up to 760,000 barrels of oil per day.
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