The DNR announced it has approved permits for the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline relocation, angering tribal members and spurring threats of legal action from environmentalists.
Enbridge is seeking to relocate a 12-mile segment of Line 5 and build a new 41-mile segment outside the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation. The proposal came after a federal judge ruled in 2022 Enbridge had illegally trespassed on the tribe’s land.
Enbridge will still need another permit approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin the project, and DNR in its release noted the agency may require additional permits or approvals.
Following yesterday’s announcement, the Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition, a group of labor unions, business groups and agricultural organizations, hailed the decision. The coalition has warned shutting down Line 5 could lead to propane shortages in the region and significant price increases.
Wisconsin Propane Gas Association Executive Director Cheryl Lytle noted propane suppliers in the state have been waiting more than four years for DNR to review the project.
“We are thankful for the Wisconsin DNR’s diligence and hopeful our state can now avoid the supply and price shock closing down Line 5 would have on the 280,000 families, farms and businesses that depend on propane for heat and fuel,” Lytle said.
But the Bad River Band and environmental groups blasted the decision as a threat to the environment. And Clean Wisconsin said it is considering a legal challenge to the permits.
“I’m angry that the DNR has signed off on a half-baked plan that spells disaster for our homeland and our way of life,” Bad River Band Chairman Robert Blanchard said. “We will continue sounding the alarm to prevent yet another Enbridge pipeline from endangering our watershed.”
The Bad River Band release notes expected adverse impacts to the Kakagon-Bad River Sloughs, “an internationally recognized mosaic of sloughs, bogs, and coastal lagoons that provide a critical stopover habitat for migratory birds and harbor the largest wild rice bed on the Great Lakes.”
Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter Director Elizabeth Ward called the project a “pipeline-ticking time-bomb.”
“An oil spill in the Bad River watershed would be catastrophic. You can’t drink oil. You can’t swim in oil or fish in oil,” Ward said. “We are committed to stopping Line 5, and we are disappointed that the DNR would allow a false solution from a company with a terrible track record rather than support the Bad River Band and protect the 40 million people who rely on the Great Lakes for safe drinking water.”
DNR approved a wetland and waterway permit allowing Enbridge to “conduct specific construction-related activities that impact navigable waterways and wetlands,” with more than 200 conditions, according to the agency.
The other permit DNR approved is a “Construction Site Storm Water General Permit” allowing Enbridge to “conduct land-disturbing construction activities in accordance with the application for coverage and associated plans, including specific plans for erosion control and water quality protection.”
