Enbridge entering a new phase of construction on Line 3 — and a new phase of protests
As the company restarted construction this week, opponents of the project geared up for a wave of larger demonstrations aimed at slowing or stopping the pipeline.
Environment
Since April fire, activists and city officials step up efforts to hold Northern Metals accountable
Most Minneapolis City Council members sign on to a letter seeking increased monitoring and an end to any activity on the north Minneapolis site.
After appeals court ruling, what’s next in the Pineland Sands farming dispute?
The court declined to overturn the DNR’s decision to grant water permits for an irrigation project in central Minnesota.
How far are GOP legislators willing to go to stop Walz’s ‘Clean Cars’ rules?
While Republicans have walked back from their demand that the state kill the new auto emissions standards, they now insist that a two-year delay in implementing them is key to any budget deal.
North Minneapolis renewable-energy training center to get a boost from the state
“I think it shows that when it comes to the issues, there are areas where we can come together,” said Rep. Jamie Long, “and that includes making sure that we have a workforce that is inclusive, that is ready for taking the jobs.”
More cover crops could help Minnesota’s soil and water. What do farmers think about it?
“You are seeing a lot more of these cover crops,” said Odin farmer Tom Peterson. “Five years ago, you hardly saw any. The challenge, though, for that (farmer) on a corn and soybean rotation is getting a cover crop planted early enough in the fall. There’s not a lot of time.”
EPA directs Minnesota to list waters impaired for wild rice
The EPA is partially disapproving Minnesota’s most recent Clean Water Act Impaired Waters List because the list doesn’t include any rivers or lakes loaded with sulfate, which kills off wild rice beds over time.
Minneapolis program puts energy audits into hands of potential homebuyers
In its first year, a city ordinance requiring energy audits prior to home sales resulted in more than 6,200 reports disclosing the conditions of windows, insulation, and heating systems for prospective buyers and new owners.
What is the Border-to-Border Touring Route, and why are some groups resisting it?
The DNR has settled on a 750-mile route that it plans to soon mark with signage and begin promoting as an “adventure trail.”
Electric vehicles are coming to Minnesota. Republicans and Democrats have very different ideas on how state government should respond.
So far in 2021, the Republicans who control the Minnesota Senate and DFLers who control the House have found little common ground on how the state should react to the burgeoning EV industry.
How the MPCA approaches its push toward environmental equity
Among the Walz administration’s efforts, its proposed budget would allow the MPCA to beef up its enforcement of emissions standards – the lack of which, the agency says, often creates inequities.
The U of M’s Gabriel Chan on why Texas’ energy grid failed — and what it means for Minnesota
Though a similar grid failure in Minnesota is highly unlikely, “I wouldn’t want to say it’s impossible,” says Chan.
The MPCA wants to change Minnesota’s water quality rules. Why, and why now?
The plan has the support of several industry groups, notably taconite mining, and some Minnesota cities. Many environmental groups and several tribal governments are lined up against it.
Some Minnesotans are loving this cold snap: Trees
Trees that thrive in environments like Minnesota’s, where temperatures can drop below freezing for an extended period of time, have adaptations that allow them to survive the winter.
What we know so far about COVID-19 spread among Line 3 workers in northern Minnesota
So far, there have been a modest number of cases among the thousands of workers on the pipeline, though the full scope of the project’s impact on disease spread isn’t clear.
Minnesota Power pledges no carbon by 2050, zero coal by 2035
At the same time, the Duluth-based utility is pushing forward with plans to build a new natural gas plant, which would have to be shut down or converted by 2050 to achieve the carbon-free goal.
Scientific panel with U prof hopes review of Trump water rules gains traction with Biden administration
The report says Trump-era rules erased Clean Water Act protection for more than half of the wetlands in the United States and for 18 percent of the country’s streams.
What Joe Biden’s Cabinet picks mean for northern Minnesota’s Twin Metals mining project
The President-elect has named Tom Vilsack to be secretary of agriculture and U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department.
Enbridge says it can keep COVID-19 at bay during Line 3 construction, but some worry project could drive cases in rural Minnesota
Environmental advocacy groups, health professionals and several tribal governments have asked the Walz administration to halt construction during the pandemic, touching off a debate over the safety of moving ahead with one of the state’s biggest construction projects.
Can solar power lead the Red Lake Nation toward energy independence?
In September, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa started working on the second phase of a 12-step solar project, a 240-kilowatt array atop the reservation’s workforce center in Red Lake.
