By now there’s a good chance you’ve heard the news that “Line 3 has been delayed a year” – that means there’s no more need to get involved with #sNoLine3… Right? WRONG!
The updated permitting & construction timeline suggests November/December 2019 as when Enbridge foresees the regulatory process coming to a close in Minnesota. Hmm… what happens around November/December every year? Any ideas? Ski & Snowboard season!
#sNoLine3 is more important now than ever. We must #sNoLine3 hard through the end of this season, get as many humans as possible involved in the campaign and hit the slopes for winter 2019/2020 with thousands and thousands and thousands of people raising awareness about Line 3. IF Enbridge DOES try and start building at that time, the snow sport community will be ready.
So, what changes with the Line 3 delay announcement? Not much, really.
Enbridge could still begin construction at any time, with or without the full gamut of permits. The only thing that changes as far as #sNoLine3 goes is that we’ve added a second season, and we’ll be adjusting THIS season’s goals slightly in accordance with a more “long-game” strategic approach.
Ideas for the #sNoLine3 Community based on the Line 3 Delay:
1. Instead of saying, “Construction on Line 3 could begin this spring.” We can say something more like, “Line 3 construction COULD start anytime as these Big Oil companies frequently operate without approval, but according to the updated permitting timeline it would be expected for Enbridge to break ground next ski/snowboard season.”
2. Pre-construction is a just what it sounds like, pre-construction. If you were to be in a car at a red light and out of the corner of your eye you see the stoplight for cross-traffic turn yellow, would you immediately accelerate through the intersection even when YOUR traffic light is still red? No, you wouldn’t. Or, maybe you would, but you’d get a ticket. Enbridge pre-constructing (clear-cutting trees on the proposed route, etc) is illegal because they have not been given the official green light. If Enbridge gets caught pre-constructing, it will be extremely important to get the word out and hold them accountable.
3. With a second season added to the #sNoLine3 effort, the rest of THIS season should be spent getting more organizers on board with the program. We will try and get some tools together to help build this network, but in the meantime saying things like, “Hey there snowsport-loving human, we’re laying the foundation for a massive push next season with #sNoLine3 – wanna get involved?” would be a good thing to be doing!
If you’re interested in reading more about the Line 3 delay announcement, we recommend reading the following:
Bloomberg News (Enbridge Pipeline Delayed a Year in Hit to Canadian Oil Industry): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-02/enbridge-pipeline-delayed-a-year-in-hit-to-canadian-oil-industry
CBC Canada (Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline delayed 1 year): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/enbridge-line-3-pipeline-delayed-1.5040611
Enbridge Energy’s Press Release: https://www.enbridge.com/media-center/news/details?id=123564&lang=en