A tribal leader and several environmental groups have urged Wisconsin officials to reject a proposed plan to reroute a section of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline. The groups have raised concerns that the relocation would not eliminate the risk of a catastrophic spill and could still impact the surrounding environment.
The Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which spans 12 miles across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation in northern Wisconsin, carries up to 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas daily from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The tribe has raised concerns about the aging pipeline’s safety, citing the risk of a spill. In 2019, the tribe sued Enbridge, arguing that the pipeline was prone to failure and that the company’s land easements on the reservation expired in 2013.
Enbridge has proposed rerouting the pipeline around the southern border of the reservation. The 41-mile project requires approval from several government agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As part of the permitting process, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program will determine if the reroute complies with state coastal protection policies.
Bad River Chairman Robert Blanchard raised concerns during a public hearing that the new route would be close to the reservation and could still harm reservation waters in the event of a spill. Environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club, have also expressed opposition, citing potential environmental damage, such as increased erosion and runoff. They also highlighted concerns about the pipeline’s safety record, referencing a 2010 rupture in Enbridge’s Line 6B in Michigan that caused a significant spill.
Proponents of the project, including the Wisconsin Building Trades Council, argued that the reroute could create jobs for local workers and ensure a continued energy supply to the region. Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner emphasized that the likelihood of a spill is minimal and that construction-related sediment would dissipate soon after work concludes.
The decision on the project is pending, and it is unclear when a ruling will be made. Enbridge has a two-year deadline to complete the reroute. The company is also appealing a 2024 court ruling that requires it to shut down the pipeline segment crossing the reservation and pay the tribe compensation for trespassing.
The future of the pipeline’s Michigan segment, which runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac, remains uncertain. Michigan’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down that portion due to spill risks, while Michigan regulators recently approved a $500 million plan to encase the pipeline in a tunnel to mitigate potential damage.
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