Madison, WI—Today, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) granted Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy permits for its controversial plan to construct a new segment of its Line 5 oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin.
The 70-year-old pipeline currently cuts across the heart of the Bad River Reservation, where it has been trespassing on Tribal land for more than a decade. In 2019, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed a lawsuit in federal court to force its removal. Rather than shut down the aging pipeline, Enbridge applied for permits to build a new 40-mile section of pipeline around the perimeter of the Reservation that would allow its continued operation within the Bad River watershed.
Midwest Environmental Advocates is currently providing legal representation to several organizations working to stop new construction on Line 5: League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, 350 Wisconsin and Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter.
Midwest Environmental Advocates and its clients will be carefully reviewing the permits and are prepared to take legal action if appropriate.
Rob Lee, Staff Attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said, “Enbridge’s proposed plan represents a clear threat to the health and safety of Wisconsin communities and the natural resources on which they rely. DNR’s decision to issue permits for the project ignores the serious concerns of thousands of people who have urged the DNR to reject Enbridge’s permit application.”
Elizabeth Ward, Chapter Director of Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter said, “The bottom line is that rerouting Line 5 prolongs the operation of this 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. 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.”
Debra Cronmiller, Executive Director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said, “Enbridge’s plan to build 40 miles of new pipeline would harm northern Wisconsin’s wetlands, streams, and water bodies, while the continued operation of the line would facilitate ongoing transportation and combustion of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions. Any potential economic benefits of this project would be far outweighed by the potential harm it would cause.”
Emily Park, co-Executive Director of 350 Wisconsin, said, “At a time when climate change is undeniably one of the most urgent threats facing our planet, it is deeply troubling that the DNR would issue permits for the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Prolonging the use of fossil fuels will increase the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, new diseases, and extreme weather events. Instead of building infrastructure that facilitates more carbon emissions, we should be investing in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and technologies that will help transition to a clean energy future.”
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