Enbridge updates County Board regarding Line 3 replacement project – now delayed to 2020
Tue, 03/19/2019 - 2:48pm
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By:
Karen Edelbach
Jennifer Maleitzke, Environmental Resources Management, and Project Manager, Phil LaFlamme, Senior Engineer from Enbridge came to the Clearwater County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 12, 2019 with an update about progress and expected delay of the Line 3 Replacement Project.
Maps were provided for the Board members, one indicating the new route that the Public Utilities Commission has approved for Line 3; which takes the construction through Moose Creek Township, and a different area of Bear Creek Township in order to avoid the contested Wild Rice Watershed in Clearwater County. Affected property owners are being notified of this change.
Another map showed the completed overview of the new or existing Line 3 connecting points from Kittson County near North Dakota to Carlton County near Duluth.
A detailed information sheets were distributed regarding “What's left before construction”, and a time line for the Enbridge Line 3 Application Processing Schedule and necessary permits.
“Clearwater County Board has been unbelievably supportive, and also Cheryl Grover, our Community Ambassador. Projects like this must hear from those most affected,” Ms. Maleitzke stated. “After more than four years, we would have liked to be further along. This has to be the most studied pipeline in Minnesota history.
“Once all permits are received, a work order can be issued. After receiving all the State permits, then the Federal (government) will issue theirs. The beginning of the work has shifted to the last half of 2020.”
While there are still challenges ahead, she added, “It has been a really long road – but we have a schedule now.”
Environmental Services Director, Dan Hecht, and Land Commissioner Bruce Cox were present and both expressed that the progress and changes sounded good. Pipes are already being moved into some areas, such as Lake George.
Engineer Dan Sauvé received authorization for payment of the Clearwater County Highway Department bills as presented in the amount of $70,180.
The purchase of a new snow truck at $79,847 (with a trade in allowance of $38,000), along with the dump body and hoist, snow plow and ice equipment in the amount of $97,494 were approved by the Board.
A discussion regarding the possibility of reusing some parts of the equipment deemed that there was no effective way to do so. The building where the equipment is stored is very moist, and causes it to rust out quickly.
“After 10-12 years, the snow plow is pretty beat up,” Mr. Sauvé said. These purchases are in the budget and are on a rotation basis.
He received approval to hire up to four part time seasonal laborers for the 2019 Summer Season. The wage will be set at a rate of $13.32 per hour.
American Legion Donation is covered in a separate article, see Leader-Record page 5.
SWCD Chester Powell, Program Technician brought the Board of Water & Soil Resources proposal of a new water planning format named “One Watershed One Plan (1W1P).
“This new planning format is designed to change water planning from traditionally following judicial boundaries to following HUC8 watershed boundaries.”
The Clearwater Board of Commissioners passed motions to sign the agreement for the planning phase of both the Mississippi Headwaters Watershed and the Wild Rice River Watershed.
Board member felt it best to be in on the ground floor of this new planning process.
MIS Technical Director, Stuart Lien received authorization for the purchase of an APC Smart-UPS 2200 VA for the IT Department Server Room at a cost of $1,571. This is an upgrade. Recent virus intrusions in the County have been resolved.
County Auditor Allen Paulson was authorized to pay the submitted invoices of $141,366 for the County Revenue Fund and $9,339 for the Nursing Service Fund.
All Commissioners were present at the meeting: John Nelson, Neal Illies, Dean Newland, Mark Titera, and Mark Larson.