Permission To Pollute?

In this episode we speak to climate activist Emma Harrison and Camp Migizi's Wabagoniwe Raven. Emma reflects on their experience getting involved with the fight to stop Line 3 and how her experience in the line 3 movement has changed her thoughts on the larger fight against climate change. Wabagonikwe explains her hopes for current and future indigenous sovereignty and discusses how her engagement with direct action tactics pressured Governor Tim Walz to approve a key Line 3 permit appeal.  

In this episode we speak to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Assistant Commissioner Katrina Kessler and Director of Public Engagement and Tribal Liaison Helen Waquiu. Assistant Commissioner Kessler reflects contextualizes MPCA regulatory work and shines light on the organizations future work with Line 3. Director of Public Engagement and Tribal Liaison Waquiu explains the consultation process during permitting and reflects on her experience at the intersection of idigenous sovereignty and US regulatory laws.

During the Line 3 permitting process, scientific studies have been used to affirm the 'safety' of the oil pipeline; however, many scientists have raised concern with the type of science used to justify Enbridge's claims. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Christine Dolph, a research scientist who focuses on stream and wetland ecology, about her experience leveraging her privilege and scientific knowledge to support indigenous communities and grassroots activists. Dr. Dolph's experience highlights how science is political and can be skewed to advance the desires of extractive corporations, but also how science can be used to ensure the safety of people and the environment. 

In this episode, we briefly discuss Enbridge's oil spill history and some prevailing arguments surrounding the pipeline. The remainder of the episode focuses on two definitive moments in Line 3's permitting process: the Routing Permit and Certificate of Need and the MPCA 401 C Water Quality Permit. 

The opening section of the episode provides a brief overview of Line 3 and contextualizes my interest in the permitting process. The majority of the episode introduces key concepts that constitute the larger conversation around pipelines in Northern America. The concepts include sustainability, regulatory capture, environmental justice, just energy transitions, and tribal sovereignty. 

Permission To Pollute is an exploration of the structural deficiencies of the environmental regulatory process. In this podcast series we will discuss some of the social, environmental and economic politics around the permitting of Enbridge Inc.'s Line 3 replacement project in Minnesota, USA.