MADISON, Wis. — Tribal leaders and environmentalists urged state officials on Thursday to reject plans to move part of an old pipeline in northern Wisconsin, saying that the risk of a major spill would still be a concern along the new route.
Enbridge Line 5, a pipeline that carries up to 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas daily from Superior, Wisconsin, through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario, runs for about 12 miles across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation.
The tribe sued Enbridge in 2019 to have the pipeline removed from the reservation, claiming the 71-year-old pipeline is at risk of a catastrophic spill. They also argued that the easements allowing the pipeline on their land expired in 2013.
Enbridge has proposed a 41-mile reroute around the southern edge of the reservation. This project needs approval from several agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
During a public hearing, Bad River Chair Robert Blanchard warned that the reroute would still be close to the reservation, and any spill could affect their waters for years.
Opponents, including the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, argued that the new route could harm the environment by increasing erosion and runoff. They also pointed out that the new route would put many waterways at risk in case of a spill. They criticized Enbridge’s safety record, citing a 2010 oil spill in Michigan.
Supporters of the reroute, however, said it could create hundreds of jobs and that there are no good alternatives to the plan.
Enbridge has not yet commented on the hearing. The timing for when the coastal management program will make a decision is uncertain.
The company has about two years to complete the reroute. A judge has ordered Enbridge to shut down the pipeline section crossing the reservation within three years and pay the tribe over $5 million for trespassing. Enbridge is appealing this ruling.
In Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit in 2019 to shut down the sections of Line 5 beneath the Straits of Mackinac, citing the risk of anchor strikes causing a spill. This lawsuit is still ongoing.
Michigan regulators have approved Enbridge’s $500 million plan to encase the pipeline in a tunnel beneath the straits to reduce risk. This plan is awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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