Madison, Wis – On Monday, staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – who spent more than four years reviewing the proposed Line 5 Relocation Project prior to issuing permits late last year – confirmed that Enbridge exceeded Wisconsin’s strict environmental standards in planning for the Line 5 Relocation Project.
Melissa Yarrington, a Storm Water Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin DNR said on Monday, “Enbridge was very responsive, replying to requests and questions, and either met or exceeded Best Management Practices (BMP) associated with the technical requirements. All of our teams’ concerns were met, in fact, Enbridge added additional BMPs to several areas within the plan.”
Yarrington went on to say, “With respect to concerns about Enbridge not updating or detailing the plans, I do not agree with this as the plans were well developed and went beyond meeting expectations.”
DNR Storm Water Construction Site Permitting and Compliance Specialist Matthew Jacobson made similar comments during his testimony on Monday, adding, “With respect to sedimentation and erosion control, Enbridge went beyond the requirements and added additional BMP’s. They included the BMP’s and detailed note plans for contractors to follow. Enbridge responded to all requests, addressed all concerns leading to the team granting the permit.”
Amy Minser, a DNR Storm Water Engineer, echoed the sentiments of Yarrington and Jacobson, saying during testimony, “Enbridge covered all areas and exceeded what is recommend as Best Management Practices.”
Minser added, “There were perceptions that there are shortcomings on the project design; however, our review team looked at the plans very closely and zoomed in on every site there was an HDD crossing. Our review was very site specific. We did the same review for every site, and the team was all in agreement that all concerns were addressed and requirements addressed.”
The contest case hearing continues through October 3, with Enbridge and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources experts testifying on the project this week.
The hearing is a result of opponents of the project initiating the “contested case” process challenging the permits issued by the Wisconsin DNR for the Line 5 relocation project. The challenge comes even though the DNR spent more than four years compiling and analyzing data, held multiple public hearings and comment periods, and relied on the most state-of-the-art modeling available to make their decision. A nearly 900-page DNR environmental impact statement scientifically and legally justified the issuance of project permits. The DNR also included 231 conditions on the permits to require the strongest environmental standards possible.
Line 5 is unique because it not only moves crude oil that is refined into transportation fuels, but it also transports natural gas liquids that are made into propane. In fact, a public comment submitted to the DNR by major propane supplier Plains Midstream sent a critical warning that a rejection of the Line 5 relocation project would likely send Wisconsin into a propane state of emergency, leading to supply shortages and massive price increases.
During the Wisconsin DNR’s permitting process, over two dozen of Wisconsin’s leading organizations representing farmers, small businesses, labor unions and papermakers submitted comments in favor of the relocation project. Those groups included the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Building Trades Council, Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Wisconsin Paper Council, Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, Wisconsin Pipe Trades, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Wisconsin Soybean Association, Cooperative Network, Dairy Business Association, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin, Construction Business Group, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139, Midwest Food Products Association, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Northern Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades Council and Teamsters Local 346. In fact, an analysis of public records found that Wisconsinites supported the Line 5 relocation project by a 2-to-1 margin during the DNR comment period in 2022.
