Local View: Oil pipelines unfairly getting a bad rap

The pipeline has been an economic success in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the communities it runs through but is no longer technologically up-to-date. Its owner, Enbridge, has proposed a plan to update and expand Line 3, which will benefit Minnesotans.

With oil one of the most widely used natural resources today, its transport has become an important topic. Pipelines are not the only way oil is shipped. Trucks, trains, and boats also ship oil.

But the majority of oil is transported via pipeline. Many people disapprove of this method due to a misconception that pipelines frequently leak, harming the environment. However, according to a Fraser Institute study, from 2003 to 2013, rail cars experienced 0.227 occurrences per million barrels of oil transported compared to 0.049 for pipelines. This means rail cars carrying crude oil are more than 4½ times as likely to have an accident and produce a spill than pipelines. Another statistic worth noting states that 99 percent of pipeline spills caused no damage to the environment.

The biggest holdup to the Line 3 Replacement Project right now is resentment from Native American tribes and other opponents and their unwillingness to work with Enbridge officials. The existing Line 3 pipeline travels through reservation land, and tribal members don't want problems with a replacement pipeline. Enbridge has taken their remarks into consideration in designing a new route for Line 3. The new route avoids reservation land.

Enbridge is taking the proper steps to ensure that this pipeline replacement is built ethically and will be environmentally sound. With its new route, much of it the same as its old route, Enbridge seems to be trying to leave as small a footprint as it possibly can. Under the watch of environmental inspectors, the process of approving its replacement will be completed in the most effective way, preserving life on the land and decreasing the erosion of soils.

Once replaced, the existing pipeline will be deactivated, cleaned thoroughly, and monitored, making sure no oil leaks into the environment.

The estimated cost of the replacement project is $7.5 billion, and Enbridge is paying for 100 percent of it. This means no increase in taxes for the people. Instead, this project will create nearly 8,600 jobs with more than 6,000 of them expected to be for Minnesotans.

The improved new pipeline will be under 24/7 monitoring, making it even safer than the existing line.

With the multiple uses of crude oil and the increasing demand for oil, the proposed Line 3 Replacement Project will contribute to the economy, create more jobs, and drive down the cost of oil-related products, such as gasoline.

Trent Madill is a student at Hermantown High School who wrote this originally as part of an argumentative research project.