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Wisconsin DNR issues permits for Enbridge Line 5 rerouting
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Wisconsin DNR issues permits for Enbridge Line 5 rerouting

Sections of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline are seen at the construction site on the White Earth Nation Reservation near Wauburn, Minnesota, June 5, 2021. Indigenous leaders and climate activists gather in northern Minnesota to protest against the stupidity

Enbridge’s controversial plan to reroute an aging pipeline around a Wisconsin The tribal reservation moved closer to reality Thursday after the company secured its first permits from state regulators.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials announced they had issued construction permits for the Line 5 is rerouted around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation. The energy company still needs discharge permits from the DNR as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The project aroused strong opposition. The tribe wants the pipeline removed from its land, but tribal members and environmentalists argue that diverting the work would damage the area’s watershed and perpetuate the use of fossil fuels.

The DNR issued the building permits with more than 200 conditions. The company must complete the project by November 14, 2027, hire DNR-approved environmental monitors and allow DNR employees access to the site during reasonable hours.

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The company must also notify the agency within 24 hours of any permit violations or releases of hazardous materials affecting wetlands or waterways; may not discharge any drilling mud into wetlands, watercourses or sensitive areas; keep spill response equipment at workspace entry and exit points; and monitor the introduction and spread of invasive plant species.

Enbridge officials released a statement welcoming the approval, calling it a “major step” toward construction that will maintain a reliable supply of energy to Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.

Bad River Tribe officials warned in their own statement Thursday that the project would require blasting, drilling and trenching that would devastate the region’s wetlands and waterways and endanger wild rice fields. of the tribe. The tribe noted that investigations identified water quality violations and three aquifer violations related to the construction of Line 3 in northern Minnesota.

“I am angry that the DNR approved a half-baked plan that promises to be disastrous for our homeland and our way of life,” Bad River Chairman Robert Blanchard said in the release. “We will continue to sound the alarm to prevent another Enbridge pipeline from endangering our watershed.”

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Line 5 transports up to 23 million gallons (approximately 87 million liters) of oil and natural gas daily from Superior, Wisconsinthrough Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario. About 12 miles of the pipeline crosses the Bad River Reservation.

The tribe sued Enbridge in 2019 to force the company to remove the pipeline from the reservation, arguing that the 71-year-old line is prone to a catastrophic spill and that land easements allowing Enbridge to operate on the reservation have expired in 2013.

Enbridge has proposed a 41-mile (66-kilometer) detour around the reservation’s southern border.

The company only has about two years to complete the project. U.S. District Judge William Conley last year ordered Enbridge must close the portion of the pipeline crossing the reservation within three years and pay the tribe more than $5 million for trespassing. An appeal by Enbridge is pending in a federal appeals court in Chicago.

Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit in 2019 seeking to close two portions of Line 5 that run under the Straits of Mackinac, the narrow waterways that connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Nessel argued that anchor strikes could rupture the line, leading to a devastating spill. That lawsuit is still pending before a federal appeals court.

Michigan regulators in December approved the company’s $500 million plan to cover the portion of the pipeline under the Straits of a tunnel to mitigate risks. The plan is awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Reaction

Bill Carroll, President of the Wisconsin Teamsters Joint Council 39

“After four years of thorough and careful analysis, these permits mean that the Line 5 relocation project will be constructed in accordance with Wisconsin environmental standards and in a manner that will protect our state’s natural resources. Our highly skilled and knowledgeable members look forward to getting to work on this important project.”

Rob Lee, attorney at Midwest Environmental Advocates

“Enbridge’s proposed plan poses a clear threat to the health and safety of Wisconsin communities and the natural resources they depend on. The DNR’s decision to issue permits for the project ignores the serious concerns of thousands of people who urged the DNR to reject Enbridge’s permit. application.”

Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council

“We applaud the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for moving forward with the permitting process for the Line 5 pipeline reroute. This decision reflects an intentional and balanced approach to meeting the state’s energy infrastructure needs while ensuring responsible environmental management.

“The Line 5 relocation project is a victory for Wisconsin workers, Wisconsin families and Wisconsin’s economy. In addition to creating more than 700 union construction jobs, this project will ensure that the energy our state’s families and economy need to survive continues to flow. members are committed to executing this project with the utmost craftsmanship and professionalism, and to prioritizing safety at every step of the process.

“Line 5 has been a vital part of Wisconsin’s energy grid for decades, providing reliable access to critical resources. The rerouting ensures operation meets the highest safety standards by incorporating state-of-the-art technology and construction practices. Together, we can advance Wisconsin’s infrastructure. needs while protecting the natural resources that make our State unique. »

Elizabeth Ward, Sierra Club Chapter Director – Wisconsin Chapter

“Ultimately, rerouting Line 5 continues this 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 fishing in oil We are committed to stopping Line 5 and we are disappointed that the DNR is allowing a false solution from a company with a disastrous record rather than supporting and protecting the Bad River Strip. the 40 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for their livelihoods on drinking water.

Terry McGowan, president and business manager of Wisconsin Operating Engineers Local 139

“On behalf of the 11,500 members of Operating Engineers Local 139, we are grateful for the incredibly thorough analysis and thoughtful approach taken by the DNR in issuing these permits. Our members look forward to getting to work on the Line 5 relocation project that will ensure the continued safe operation of a vital energy source for our state and region. Wisconsinites can be confident that our members and other unions working on this project will build the safest pipeline in the country.

Debra Cronmiller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin

“Enbridge’s plan to build a new 40-mile pipeline would harm northern Wisconsin’s wetlands, streams and bodies of water, while continued operation of the pipeline would facilitate transportation and combustion continued use of fossil fuels as well as greenhouse gas emissions. of this project would be largely outweighed by the potential harm it would cause.

Corey Gall, president of the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association

“This is a huge victory for our state’s workers and families who depend on the energy made possible by Line 5. Wisconsin’s union welders, with the most extensive training in the world, are ready to get to work on this critical project that will ensure Line 5 continues to provide Wisconsin families with the energy they need.

Emily Park, co-executive director of 350 Wisconsin

“At a time when climate change is undeniably one of the most pressing threats facing our planet, it is deeply troubling that the DNR is issuing permits for the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Prolonged use of fossil fuels will increase frequency and intensity. floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, new diseases and extreme weather events. Instead of building infrastructure that facilitates more carbon emissions, we should invest in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and technologies that will facilitate the transition to a clean energy future. “.

Evan Feinauer, Clean Wisconsin Attorney

“Wisconsin law makes clear that projects causing harm to our waters must meet a high standard to move forward. Given the enormous impacts that construction of this pipeline would cause, we are skeptical that the project proposed meets these legal standards.”