30th Anniversary of Big Enbridge Spill Sparks Protest Over Line 3 Replacement Project

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.– Wednesday marked the 30th anniversary of the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history that happened right here in the Northland.

Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline ruptured on March 3rd, 1991 near Grand Rapids. 1.7 million gallons of crude oil got loose, including into the Prairie River, which leads into the Mississippi River.

On Wednesday, more than 75 people came to remember what happened 30 years ago and pay their respects to the land.

“As Anishinabek people, it is our cultural duty to love and honor and respect our water. And as of right now, she’s feeling good, she’s been through a lot and this is why we’re here just to think about her and to love her and put our tobacco down and say, ‘We appreciate you and we love you,'” said Sarah Little Red Feather, a ‘water protector’ at the site.

Some demonstrators are raising awareness about the spill 30 years ago as a reason why the Enbridge line three pipeline restoration project going on right now should be shut down.

“They’re just wasting resources. That’s what I think is that they’re wasting resources and people aren’t going to care,” said Tania Aubid, who was protesting line 3. “Ya know, who’s to say what’s going to be coming up into the waters and into the food that we eat.”

Enbridge provided the following statement on the 30th anniversary of the spill,

“Safety and safe operation is our focus every day. In 2019 Enbridge safely delivered nearly 4 billion barrels of oil, the highest volume in our 71 year history with our best safety record yet.  In 2019 there were seven incidents six of which were contained on Enbridge property, amounting to less than half a railcar of oil which was immediately cleaned up. Yet we know even one spill is too many.

While much has changed since the march 3, 1991 release north of grand rapids 30 years ago including significant improvements in monitoring technology and operations – we have always been clear that Line 3 needs to be replaced. Replacing the existing Line 3 pipeline with one made of thicker steel, with more advanced coatings, will better protect Minnesota’s environment and people for generations to come.  This safety and maintenance driven replacement project was agreed upon and noted in a federal consent decree during the Obama Administration and has already been completed in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Pipelines remain the safest and most efficient way to transport the energy we rely on to power our vehicles, heat our homes, and create a myriad of products from cell phones to heart monitors.”