Reflections on the Safest Way Tour

To the Editor:

I recently had the opportunity to be part of events in Superior, Ashland, Minocqua and Wausau, called the Safest Way Tour, which highlighted the importance of the Line 5 pipeline relocation project being proposed in Bayfield, Ashland, and Iron counties.

As someone with firsthand experience working on pipeline projects, I already knew the safety and quality assurances that go into a project like the one being proposed. However, the tour gave me an opportunity to meet with Wisconsin families, Native American business owners, outdoors men and women, and other Wisconsinites who depend on the propane, gas, and diesel that Line 5 makes possible. 

While a lot of political rhetoric has been thrown around regarding this project, it’s getting lost that over 280,000 Wisconsin homes depend on propane, millions of Wisconsinites need gas to get to and from work, and that countless businesses, jobsites and farms depend on energy to keep our state functioning. 

All of which are made possible by pipelines like Line 5. There is little doubt that pipelines like Line 5 are the safest way to move the energy we all need right now to heat our homes, drive our vehicles, and keep Wisconsin moving forward. I hope we can all put politics aside and move forward with the Line 5 relocation project. 

Noel Edwards

Business representative for UA Local 11 (which represents plumbers and steamfitters in portions of Minnesota and northern Wisconsin)