Madison, Wis – The diverse coalition backing the Line 5 relocation project plans to testify this week at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hearing soliciting feedback on whether construction of pipeline would or would not violate the Bad River Band’s water quality requirements.
Leaders from labor unions, the forest products industry, farm organizations and small businesses groups are all hoping to testify at the hearing in support of Line 5.
“The DNR’s permit process was rigorous and included more than 200 environmental safeguards for Enbridge to follow—far exceeding typical regulatory standards. Claims that the project poses environmental risk are not only unfounded, but they are also a deliberate attempt to block energy infrastructure and, by extension, the industries and communities that rely on responsible land use,” said Henry Schienebeck, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association.
The hearing is being held in response to a letter sent by the Bad River Band to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claiming construction of the Line 5 relocation project would impact water quality on the Reservation which is over 1 to 12 miles downstream of the project’s actual location. This follows a more than four-year review of the project, and permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that affirm the project can be completed safely and following all environmental laws and regulations. The Wisconsin DNR’s permitting process included multiple public hearings, multiple public comment periods, and resulted in an 898-page environmental impact state.
The Band’s objection letter contends that the construction best practices Enbridge and its contractors will follow are harmful to far downstream water quality. Applying that logic to other projects would virtually shut down development and forestry in the region.
“Sadly, opponents of the project are now not only using the legal process to try and reverse the DNR permits, but they are also trying to get the federal government to stop the project by using absurd arguments that could impact any construction project throughout our region,” stated Neil Sickich, who is a Business Agent with the Steamfitters 601 and a resident of Bayfield County. “I have personally worked on Enbridge projects as well as countless other pipeline projects in and outside of Wisconsin. I have firsthand experience in the practices Enbridge uses to safeguard the environment during construction, and as a resident of the area, I have a vested interest in protecting our environment. I have complete confidence the Line 5 relocation project will be done safely and with minimal impact on the environment.”
“I appreciate and respect the desire of the Bad River Band to remove Line 5 from their reservation. However, it appears you are being asked to substantially alter basic construction practices – which follow environmental guidance from agencies like the EPA and Wisconsin DNR – in a way that would make it nearly impossible for development of any kind to move forward across much of Northern Wisconsin,” Terry McGowan, President and Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139, plans to tell the Army Corps in his testimony.
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.
Despite claims made to the contrary, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Environmental Assessment released in May of 2024 indicated that effects to water quality during the construction of the Line 5 relocation project would be “minor, localized, and temporary.”
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 Processors 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.
