Post 33

Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Brainerd/Pine River MN   3/12/14

This evening the Public Utilities Commission held a public meeting in Pine River, to provide a forum for citizens to question Enbridge Corporation officials on issues surrounding its application for expansion of the Sandpiper pipeline into the local area. Held at the Pine River-Backus School, the meeting was well attended and many questions were asked on various aspects of Enbridge's plans. Some of these had to do with waterways and watersheds protections; with leak concerns and safety concerns; with the company's history on dealing with leaks; with alternate routes; and the fact that the company is already working on leases with land owners and has paid money out, in advance of their approval. Marty Cobenais, formerly of the Indigenous Environmental Network, spoke about the larger environmental concerns and specific problems with this pipeline company, asking questions of the officials that were left largely unanswered. NUUF members were present in force, following up on our earlier and present concerns on this issue. We are continuing to monitor the journey through the process, and will add to the commentary until a final decision is made. Barb Kaufman was one of the speakers, asking for explanations on spills. Keep tuned.

Respectfully submitted, Mary DeYoung, News Director