Gov. Walz announced Tuesday that his administration will continue to appeal regulatory approval of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pipeline replacement project in northern Minnesota.
Republican lawmakers aren't happy with the decision.
"I'm always going to be working for a win-win with the governor, this is a lose-lose," said Senate GOP leader Paul Gazelka in a hastily called press conference at the state capitol. "It's a lose for the environment, it's not going to be environmentally good to have an old pipeline in there when we could have had a new one."
Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission approved the project last year, with then-Governor Mark Dayton and the state Commerce Department filing an appeal in December.
Dayton sided with environmental and tribal groups that also oppose the project.
The decision by Walz is the most visible and controversial since becoming governor last month.
"When it comes to any project that impacts our environment and our economy, we must follow the process, the law, and the science," Walz said in a statement. "The Dayton Administration's appeal of the PUC's decision is now a part of this process. By continuing that process, our Administration will raise the Department of Commerce's concerns to the court in hopes of gaining further clarity for all involved."
More than thirty Republican lawmakers joined together Monday morning to criticize the move.
"This was Gov. Walz' first test on what One Minnesota means, and in this example, I think Gov. Walz clearly failed the test,": said House GOP leader Kurt Daudt.
The labor union IUOE representing local construction workers supported Walz during the campaign but in a statement said it strongly disagreed with his decision. It said continuing the lawsuit is "bad policy" that "encourages environmental extremism." It argued the large-scale, privately-funded infrastructure project has been thoroughly vetted.
Margaret Levin, the state director for the Sierra Club North Star Chapter, explains why they've strongly opposed the pipeline.
"There are great risks to clean water," she said. "Enbridge has a terrible record of spills and catastrophic pollution in other places. It is also a threat to our climate because tar sands is a major cause of carbon pollution."
Winona LaDuke, Executive Director and Co-founder of Honor the Earth, says Walz stood for native people who want to preserve the sacred wild rice ecosystem.
"The time when projects like this were shoved down our throat is over," she said. "This project will not be shoved down the throat of the Ojibwe people."
While the decision might feel like a victory for pipeline opponents, the fight is far from over. The courts will now play a major role in the future of the pipeline that's over 50 years old.
Enbridge wants to replace the aging Line 3, which was built in the 1960's, because cracking and corrosion is limiting it to half-capacity. The company is already replacing pipeline segments in Canada.
Environmentalists are welcoming the decision by Walz, while Enbridge calls it "unfortunate." The company also said it will continue to work with his administration to secure permits and begin construction while the legal process moves forward.