There's only one state this year that really has high profile pipeline protests going on. That's Minnesota

30 years ago this week the line three pipeline in northern Minnesota rupture

Spilling 1.7 million gallons of crude oil into a frozen river near Grand Rapids, Minnesota

If the river had not been frozen the oil could have seeped into the Mississippi River and contaminated drinking water for millions downstream

Protests have been ongoing to stop construction rerouting a section of the line three pipeline which could impact indigenous communities and local waterways

Hello and welcome to drilled I'm Amy Westervelt

You might have heard recently about the line three pipeline project in Minnesota. Some people are calling it the next standing rock

Because it's been at the center of protests for years

Particularly from indigenous tribes in the area

Activist and author Winona Laduk has been involved in that fight for seven years

Here she is talking to PBS news about it earlier this month

I'm a grandmother. You know and we're standing out there

I have six charges against me for this pipeline and there's a bunch of us that are facing charges for you know trying to be a water protector

Laduk and others have been part of the seven year fight opposing the project throughout the state and federal review processes

It is the largest tar sands pipeline in the world

This pipeline is the equivalent to 50 new coal fire power plants

So you know if you're trying to save the planet

This is not the way to do it. I couldn't get to Minnesota myself. I'm not vaccinated yet

So I don't want to impose myself on the community

Plus I have kids, but also this is one of those stories where I want to hear from local and particularly native journalists

I did want to see though whether the evolving line three story

Dovetailed it all with something else I've been tracking

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