Line 5 Pipeline Relocation Contested Permit Hearing Wraps Up

HAYWARD, Wis. (WBZH) – A decision on the Line 5 Pipeline relocation project could soon be reached following the conclusion of a contested permit hearing on Friday.

The project would see a 41 mile reroute of the pipeline to go around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation rather than through it. Enbridge Energy was forced to shut down that part of the pipeline and pay over $5 million for trespassing as a result of a 2019 lawsuit.

Environmental groups and the Bad River Band are challenging the waterway and wetland permit issued for the project by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources last year. They argued the agency lacked the necessary information on specific rivers and streams that could be affected. They’ve also expressed concerns that construction on the relocation project could negatively affect area waterways.

Last week, the Department of Natural Resources argued that the Line 5 Pipeline relocation project is the most studied in the agency’s history. Officials say they applied stringent permitting standards in line with state law.

A previous environmental impact statement also found the possibility of an oil spill or pipe failure to be extremely remote. The groups challenging the permit also argued that Enbridge Energy has a track record of spills, including another section of the Line 5 Pipeline and the Line 3 Pipeline in Minnesota.

After weeks of sessions in both Ashland and Madison, an administrative law judge may now decide the future of the relocation project. Both sides will have the opportunity to appeal the decision after it is issued.