A month after a massive Line 5 pipeline spill in Iron County, tribal and environmental leaders are calling on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to declare a disaster and hold Enbridge accountable.
The pipeline released roughly 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids near the Bad River Reservation in Saxon last month after an unoccupied subcontractor truck struck it. Enbridge has since returned Line 5 to service using a temporary bypass, despite state officials asking the company to halt construction over missing permits.
Beth Wallace, Great Lakes climate and energy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said the state allowing Line 5 to continue to operate until it fails again is unacceptable.
"This should have been the last straw on Line 5. Enbridge was extremely lucky in this moment that this did not ignite and cause mass casualties. And the fact that what caused this event is not being examined is really alarming," Wallace asserted.
Wallace noted environmental groups are calling on Evers to take steps similar to those sought from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including examining options for orderly decommissioning. Enbridge says its work follows current permit conditions and it continues working with regulators on permitting and environmental remediation.
Enbridge and proponents of the pipeline argued Line 5 is critical infrastructure supplying energy to millions of people across the Midwest and Great Lakes region and monitoring shows no contamination in nearby waters or wells. Wallace and tribal leaders have rebutted the argument and contended the spill threatens treaty-protected lands and water resources, including Lake Superior.
"The pipeline was shut down for over two weeks and Michigan and Wisconsin had no impact from that shutdown. And so that has been proven in this moment that the risk far outweighs the need," Wallace stressed.
The Bad River Band is seeking a disaster declaration from Evers and asking the state to revoke permits for Enbridge’s 41-mile reroute around the reservation.
Stefanie Tsosie, attorney for the environmental law organization Earthjustice representing the tribe, said state officials have the authority to modify or revoke permits for good cause, including violations.
"For these environmental laws to work, for the system that we have to work, we need people to actually enforce it when companies run roughshod over communities," Tsosie underscored.
