St. Paul, Minn. (Oct. 8, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in advance of the trial in Bagley, Minn. beginning Monday on charges filed against four out-of-state residents, two of whom allegedly used destructive actions to trespass on an Enbridge pumping station near Leonard, Minn., on Oct. 11, 2016:

“Jobs for Minnesotans condemns acts of violence, destruction and trespassing of any kind and urges the court to send a strong message that dangerous actions like these are unacceptable. We cannot allow this particular event, which had the potential to cause vast damage and have a much worse outcome than it did, to set a dangerous legal precedent for others to put communities in danger.

In Minnesota, we believe in the established processes which are robust and thorough to assess and ensure the environmental impact and safety of pipelines before construction and during the lifespan of their operation. There are many non-criminal avenues, such as the Legislature, the courts or lawful protest, in which concerned citizens can and should voice their concerns about the environment. Thoughtless actions that put pipeline employees and community members in danger should not be encouraged by the courts, and should not be considered a “necessity” at any point.

Laws are in place to assure the safety of Minnesotans and our communities. We expect anyone from outside our state to follow the law when they choose to visit.”

About Jobs for Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.

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Media Contact: Nancy Norr, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978