Madison, Wis – The Wisconsin Jobs & Energy Coalition, whose membership includes the leading trade union, agriculture and business organizations in the state, issued the following statement in response to the law suit filed today challenging the permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) for the Line 5 relocation project in northwestern Wisconsin:
“Today’s baseless law suit is another disappointing development in the now nearly six-year effort to relocate Line 5 so it can continue to supply needed energy to our state and region. The facts are clear. Line 5 has been subject to the most thorough analysis of any project in our state’s history. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency have all reviewed the project at length and concluded it can be done safely and in keeping with our strict environmental standards. It’s long past time for the law suits to stop and for the 700 well-trained union workers the project will employ to get to work.”
During the 2024 USACE public comment period, over 11,500 Wisconsinites signed a petition to the USACE in support of the Line 5 relocation project. In addition, dozens of organizations representing over 100,000 Wisconsin farmers, union workers and small businesses submitted comment letters in support of the project. Those organizations include: APEX, Centergy , Construction Business Group, Cooperative Network, Dairy Business Association, Five Skies Training and Consulting, Futurewood, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, Growmark , Hawk Industries, Johnson Timber, Lakehead Constructors Inc, LK1 Services, Michels Corporation, Midwest Food Products Association, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Northern Clearing, Teamsters Local 346, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Wisconsin Building Trades Council, Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association, Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Wisconsin Paper Council, Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association, Wisconsin Soybean Association, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers, Wisconsin Pork Association, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139, and Wisconsin Infrastructure Investment Now.
