(photo: MEA Attorney Anya Janssen and Clean Wisconsin Attorney Brett Korte at the Line 5 contested case hearing in August 2025.)
On Friday, Feburary 13, we received a decision in our case challenging the reroute of Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline.
In short, the decision did not go our way. The judge upheld the DNR’s decision to approve the construction of a new 41-mile segment of Line 5 around the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin.
This outcome is deeply disappointing—especially given the overwhelming amount of evidence presented during the six-week contested case hearing showing that the reroute would negatively impact hundreds of waterways and wetlands, increase the risk of a catastrophic oil spill, and lock in decades of fossil fuel dependence.
As our partner Earthjustice said on Friday, this decision does not erase the facts that were entered into the record during the hearing or the clear evidence that the DNR failed to protect Wisconsin’s waters as the law requires.
And while the judge largely deferred to the DNR’s judgment in issuing her decision, that does not mean the question of whether Wisconsin’s environmental laws were properly applied has been resolved.
The fight is not over.
We believe there is a strong basis for judicial review of this decision, and together with our clients—Sierra Club Wisconsin, 350 Wisconsin and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin—we are preparing to take next steps.
At the same time, another legal challenge to the continued operation of Line 5 is moving ahead in federal court, thanks to the leadership of the Bad River Band. This case is one part of a broader effort to hold Enbridge accountable and to protect northern Wisconsin’s irreplaceable natural resources from the risks of this aging oil pipeline.
Although we had hoped for a different outcome at this stage, we know that meaningful environmental victories often require patience and persistence. Every brief filed, every hearing held, and every supporter who stands with us helps build the momentum needed to propel us to victory.
We are grateful to the many people who have stood with MEA throughout this fight. Your support makes it possible for us to continue working to secure our rights to a clean and healthy environment.
Learn more about this case here.
