Water Protectors Call for DNR Transparency

A group of concerned citizens is calling for more protection for the state’s natural resources. Then, crews work to reconstruct a historic southern Minnesota bridge. And, an important reminder for hunters.
—–Executive Producer: Victor Palomino Producer: Maija HechtAnchor: Chantel SinGsReader scripting: Victor Palomino Fact checking: Joel Glaser, Victor Palomino Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood

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Transcript

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HOST: This is North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live. Today in Minnesota...

ANCHOR: …crews work to reconstruct a historic southern Minnesota bridge. Then, a group of concerned citizens is calling for more protection for the state's natural resources, and an important reminder for hunters.

I'm Chantel SinGs.

Work is moving ahead to rebuild Mankato's historic Kern Bridge. Originally built in 1873 in South Bend Township, crews dismantled the bridge in 2020 and stored it for future restoration. Now, it will be rebuilt as a pedestrian bridge linking local parks. The Mankato City Council has approved an $8.3 million bid from Redstone Construction, bringing the total project cost to about $10.5 million. Most funding will come from federal and state sources, with construction set to begin next month.

In today's main story, a group of water protectors and citizen scientists is calling for more transparency from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about post-pipeline construction. Maija Hecht has the story.

Maija Hecht: The years since oil began running through Enbridge's Line 3 replacement pipeline, Line 93, Minnesota water protectors and citizen scientists have taken environmental monitoring into their own hands.

Bee Kakac: Right after construction of the pipeline was completed, this group formed called Waadookawaad Amikwag, which is Ojibwe for Those who Help Beaver.

Maija Hecht: Bee Kaka is a federally licensed drone pilot who began working with Waadookawaad Amikwag, or WA, to take infrared aerial photos of the post-construction pipeline corridor.

Bee Kakac: And with thermal data, you can see upwelling water when the ground is very cold.

Maija Hecht: Line 93 crosses over 200 bodies of water, wetlands, rivers and natural springs. The upwelling that Bee is looking for is a potential sign of construction damage.

Bee Kakac: We took that data and started to visit those sites on foot and or with drones to figure out if those were actual aquifer breaches.

Maija Hecht: And the group continued to visit those sites for years. In a Minneapolis conference room where Bea recently presented photos of upwelling water, she expressed disappointment that the DNR had not accepted her invitation to attend.

Bee Kakac: I just want them to be transparent with us. I want them to have compassion and empathy for those of us who care about this land.

Randall Duneen: I think that we're actually really transparent with this project.

Maija Hecht: Randall Duneen is a section manager with the Minnesota DNR.

Randall Duneen: We won't be able to keep, you know, like a running tally of monthly processes, but we're certainly very much, you know, keeping that website up to date.

Maija Hecht: The DNR website does list updates on Line 93, including reports of four aquifer breaches caused during construction. The most recent DNR entry is dated over two years ago.

Laura Triplett: Things don't necessarily stay fixed.

Maija Hecht: Geologist Laura Triplett used to help Waadookawaad Amikwag digest their data. With concern for wetland health, that group is currently calling for more communication from the DNR about environmental damages inflicted by Enbridge.

Laura Triplett: What Enbridge did here was careless and reckless. They went through and punctured aquifers, changed the hydrology, and we may not really know the longterm impacts of that for quite a while.

Maija Hecht: In an email to North Star Stories, Enbridge states that the Line 3 replacement project was built under the most comprehensive regulatory framework in the state's history, with more than 60 federal, state, local and tribal approvals. The email goes on to say that while there have been some problems, it has identified, self-reported, and corrected the problems. Maija Hecht for North Star Stories.
Anchor: You are listening to North Star Stories.

With hundreds of thousands of hunters preparing for Minnesota's firearms deer opener this month, the Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, is reminding everyone that safe hunts are successful hunts. Officials urge hunters to review firearm safety, wear blaze orange or pink, and carefully select their hunting locations. They also advise checking all tree stand equipment.
DNR officials say the goal is for every hunter, hiker, and anyone enjoying the outdoors to return home safely.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.