(The Center Square) – A judge said the Line 5 reroute project could proceed but that work needed to stop at four waterway crossings in a late Friday ruling in Iron County Circuit Court.
The 41-mile Line 5 reroute in northern Wisconsin by Enbridge has been challenged in court by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and environmental groups at every step of the process since permit applications were initially submitted in 2020.
The partial stay order from Judge John P. Anderson will be intact until the court lifts the stay.
“We’re very happy the Court made such a quick and decisive action. This is a good day for Bad River and Lake Superior, both of which are in danger if the Enbridge reroute is allowed to proceed,” Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the support Bad River has received from other Tribes, our local neighbors, and people across the nation.
“To see such an outpouring of concern and solidarity from these disparate communities shows how at our core, we are bound by a need and desire for clean water to drink, a clean environment for animals and plants to thrive in, and a commitment to the highest quality of life for our people. We hope the Court will keep the stay in place and hear us out fully in the weeks to come.”
The Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition said that it appreciated Anderson approving most of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources permits for the project, stating that additional permits for the four water crossings are well along in the permitting process.
“This decision further reaffirms the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did their job diligently and the Line 5 Relocation can and will be built safely and without harming our state’s environment,” Terry McGowan, President and Business Manager of the Operating Engineers Local 139, said in a statement. “The 700 union men and women that will work on the Line 5 Relocation Project have waited long enough; it’s time for them to get to work.”
