Enbridge Corridor of Death ~ March 8th Update
For those who may not be aware, I do a daily FB update on the Covid situation here in northern Minnesota along the Enbridge Tar Sands pipeline project proposed corridor.
In case you missed it… February had a closure of the Thief River Fall’s Walmart for Valentine’s Day weekend because they couldn’t staff the store… even with support from other locations.
At that time, MPR reported: “There’s been an uptick in cases in northwestern Minnesota recently, though it’s unclear why just yet. All other regions of the state have been seeing cases decline.” [2/16/21]
You can see how their coverage changed over time… with little concern or investigation…
- On February 16th, warning of “Something worth watching”
- Letting us know again on the 17th there’s an uptick…
- And then apparently changing their minds by the 18th and removing the graphic entirely.
- While the graphic did re-appear in their coverage, no further news until the 27th, when it was noted Dan Huff of Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) sharing “concern”.
- Two day’s later, concerns disappear and then, as MPR again dropped any level of concern for NW MN from their reporting yesterday… On the same day…MDH noted the area as a COVID-19 hotspot!
2-16-21 MPR Something to Watch 
2-17-21 MPR Uptick in NW MN “Unclear” 
2-18-21 MPR Graphic gone… nothing to see! 
2-27-21 MPR Huff from MDH notes concern. 
3-1-21 MPR Two days later, concerns disappear. 
3-7-21 MDH Pennington COVID-19 Hotspot
For days, this MPR notice went uninvestigated. In my daily COVID updates, I noted the unmasked Enbridge workers throughout the project corridor, the WalMart closure, the upticks in cases… and Pennington County went unaddressed. Tagging the MDH got me nowhere. Emailing the MDH got no direct meaningful response, and certainly not engagement.
While Pipeliners for the Enbridge Line 3 project camp in big numbers in Thief River Falls, rates of infections have been on the rise in the county. We certainly know that pipeliners are circulating in our communities as we saw a couple recently busted for trying to solicit sex, with one carrying an unregistered firearm.
Now, a few weeks later, we see an even more critical sounding situation and I continue to wonder…
Will SOMEONE in the Minnesota State Government POSSIBLY CONSIDER that it might be a result of Enbridge Pipeliners from all over the country? Will ANYONE???
You know, those guys who swing home for a quick weekend if they can get an extra day off to see the kids… and bring back to Minnesota whatever is going on in Texas, or Oklahoma, or North Dakota, Covid-wise? Maybe?
Maybe that holiday trip is what caused this spike for the last month?
Will anything be done? As Enbridge races across our state in hopes to install a pipeline before the Courts can determine that, in fact, there is NO NEED FOR A TAR SANDS PIPELINE.
Let’s suppose, for sake of argument, that it isn’t pipeliners spreading COVID-19. With Tar Sands being described – even in industry news – on a DAILY NOW, as “stranded assets”, we see Shell and Exxon divesting these assets from their books. Climate science dictates these oil sands resources cannot be extracted… at least, not if we want to keep humanity living on this third rock from the sun. This alone is reason enough to halt construction – at least until the court cases can be heard.
The Line 3 Relocation and Expansion Tar Sands Pipeline is NOT an ESSENTIAL project during a Pandemic!
While Covid feels to many to be less of a concern every day as we hear of increasing vaccination levels, there is still so much we do not yet know.
- What level of protection is offered by each vaccine? {We know none are boasting 100% protection.}
- How long does the immunity from each vaccine last? {When will one need a booster shot to re-immunize?}
- How much of that immunity applies to scary new strains like the UK’s B.1.1.7? {Which reportedly is doubling in the U.S. every 10 days.}
- How will complacency among the vaccinated affect community spread?
OK, so you can see there are still lots of questions…
As we’re already seeing upticks in many counties along Enbridge’s proposed Line 3 corridor.
Counties like Norman and Polk saw early but seemingly controlled spikes. Of late, larger spikes in places where typically very few cases are seen is bringing more concern. Counties like Roseau, Red Lake, and Marshall have also seen jumps. Becker and Beltrami have seen spikes. And Clearwater County already had National Guard in late last year, when staffing was unable to keep up at the Cornerstone Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in Bagley.
With few still comprehending the dangers of this steadily mutating virus, let’s hope we see a stop to this fossil fool madness… and soon. #StopLine3
Retired at 45 