REGULATORY:

Line 5 Threatens Water Quality, Wildlife, and Drinking Water for Millions in Great Lakes States

Comments due by: April 15th

Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 oil pipeline carries 22 million gallons of light and synthetic crude oil and natural gas every day from Lake Superior to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through the Straits of Mackinac to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, ultimately crossing the St. Clair River to Sarnia, Ontario. The pipeline, originally constructed in 1953, has outlived its expected lifespan. Enbridge has proposed to rebuild a new section of Line 5 in Northern Wisconsin, which would be 40 miles long and cross 200 waterways in Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron Counties.  Enbridge is proposing to re-route that Line 5 section around, but directly “upstream” of the Bad River Native American Reservation, where any pipeline break would impact the drinking water, fisheries, wild rice, and natural and cultural resources of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has extended the deadline for commenting on the agency’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Line 5 pipeline re-route in Wisconsin. By law, an EIS should analyze different alternatives and the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of these alternatives, including socioeconomic and cultural impacts.

Currently, the EIS for this project:

  • does not adequately analyze the impacts on waters, wetlands, wildlife, wild rice, or important natural resources, such as the Kakagon-Bad River Sloughs and downstream Lake Superior;
  • fails to recognize the treaty rights of the Bad River Band and other Tribes of Wisconsin and the full cultural impacts should oil spills occur to activities such as subsistence fishing and hunting;
  • does not analyze impacts to climate change; and
  • does not address how the environment should be protected during construction activities or ongoing operations and maintenance during extreme wet weather events.

Why should we care in the Milwaukee River Basin?

Tens of millions of people rely on Lake Michigan for drinking water, including a million people in Greater Milwaukee, and an oil spill could irreparably damage our freshwater resource. The economy, water-based recreation, and all the work to restore our waterways could be impacted with a significant spill. This fight will set precedent in Wisconsin for permitting of pipeline construction and protection of water resources. Lastly, the Tribes deserve our support in their fight to protect their natural and cultural resources, and assert their treaty rights as First Nations.

Comments on the Line 5 EIS can be emailed by April 15th to dnroeeacomments@wi.gov or mailed to: Line 5 EIS Comments, DNR (EA/7), 101 South Webster Street, Madison, WI 53707.

Additional resources for drafting comments can be found below:

Learn more about the fight in Michigan against Line 5 as it crosses under the Straits of Mackinaw, and sign the Oil and Water Don’t Mix petition to President Biden.