David Anderson was just one of many who came out to St. Andrews Church in Grand Rapids this afternoon to call out Enbridge for its plan to abandon its Line 3 pipeline, a plan that local landowners are opposed to.

A new study released today by Minnesotans for Pipeline Cleanup outlined the different results and consequences of abandonment, including from an economic standpoint, as well as environment and wildlife standpoint.

Cleanup was a common theme of the gathering as a fear of spills and leakage from oil, rust, and other chemicals left in the line have the concerned citizens on edge about the abandonment of pipeline 3. According to today’s study, the only benefits of abandonment are that it’s only less disruptive to the environment in the short term, and it saves Enbridge billions of dollars.

And with Lines 1 and 2 older than Line 3, this may be far from over.

Lakeland News reached out to Enbridge for a response and the energy company sent this statement:

Enbridge has been operating in Minnesota for over 65 years and we value our relationships with the landowners, organizations and communities along our pipeline routes. We are continuously engaging with our stakeholders and are always willing to talk and listen to any concerns.

In general, once the Line 3 Replacement pipeline becomes operational, the existing Line 3 will be permanently deactivated in place. Leaving the permanently deactivated pipeline in place is the safest option as it reduces the risk of soil stability issues, avoids major construction activities and reduces the potential risk to existing pipelines from heavy equipment and it is the most widely used method for pipeline deactivation and follows all regulatory requirements. Enbridge is responsible for its pipelines, whether they are active or not.

Project website: Enbridge.com/Line3

Line 3 Deactivation website & video: http://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/public-awareness/minnesota-projects/line-3-deactivation

For more information on the pipeline cleanup and to sign the petition, you can visit http://www.pipelinecleanupmn.org

You can also visit St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church at http://www.saintand.org/

By — Clayton Castle