Northern Minnesota (1 NOV 2021) Read the full article Pipeline firm deposited millions into state fund to pay local police to ‘patrol’ and ‘protect’ controversial Line 3 project
Canada’s enbridge corporation has deposited at least $4.25 million to a state of Minnesota police account, according to Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, “because pipeline projects in other parts of the country have sometimes resulted in added burdens to law enforcement”.
Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund and an attorney representing pipeline opponents, said the arrangement with enbridge is an “extraordinary set-up where the corporation is paying limitless funds into an account shared by multiple sheriff’s departments across the state. This creates a new structure that fundamentally will distort any pretense of public policing in America and will be very dangerous to fundamental democratic principles.”
Enbridge paid for the officers’ wages, transportation, and meals to protect the drill site — and many others.
Records show that at times during the Line 3 project, law enforcement billed the escrow account specifically for officers’ time related to surveillance of pipeline opposition groups. One police department had wages reimbursed for an officer maintaining “mobile surveillance on multiple believed rally participants”, after he followed several cars believed to be occupied by pipeline opponents.
One county sheriff’s reimbursement request states their deputies’ duties were to “protect the construction workers and equipment.” Numerous requests describe the officers’ duties as providing “pipeline security” or “drill site security.” Some police supervisors also met with Enbridge officials “to discuss project work areas, safety concerns, calls for service, intelligence gathering and public safety initiatives for the day.
