IRON COUNTY, Wis. — A gas pipeline spill that was likely the largest in recent state history has prompted calls from tribal nations and environmental groups for Gov. Tony Evers to make a state disaster declaration.
Enbridge’s Line 5 returned to service over the weekend of Sept. 12 following a line strike when a flatbed truck rolled into an excavation site in Iron County last month. The damage caused 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids to leak into the atmosphere, which federal data suggests is the largest spill in Wisconsin since 1986.
“It’s in the largest five [highly volatile liquid spills] in the entire country in those 40 years. . . and it’s in the top 15 of any kind of hazardous liquid pipeline spill in that 40 years,” Bill Caram, Executive Director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, an independent watchdog on the pipeline industry, said during a virtual press conference.
The spill site is just a few miles from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation. Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle said the Bad River Band would be officially declaring the spill a disaster, and wants Gov. Evers to do the same:
“There’s a lot of dangers and risks to our people. This is our treaty-ceded territory. This is where our people have always hunted, fished, gathered, lived, and all of that’s at risk.”
As Enbridge began work to clean up the spill, the company simultaneously worked on constructing a temporary bypass to get Line 5 back in service, but without obtaining permits to do so. The company continued to post updates on the bypass despite an order from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to halt construction and focus on mitigating the spill:
“The people of Wisconsin expect and deserve that Enbridge takes the actions necessary to restore the environment and minimize the harmful effects of the discharge, especially with regards to the significant discharge of VOCs to the air.”
The request dated Sept. 9 was the DNR’s second noncompliance letter asking Enbridge to stop working on the bypass, and followed a separate request for the company to pause all construction on its larger Line 5 reroute project. Enbridge reportedly stopped work for a two-day “safety pause” several days after the spill.
Dozens of environmental organizations and tribal nations are calling for both a state disaster declaration and a revocation of state permits to trigger a complete work stoppage on the Line 5 reroute.
“We need a thorough independent investigation into the root cause of the rupture,” Sierra Club Campaign Coordinator Jadine Sonoda said. “We’re also calling on the agency to make public all notices of non-compliance, drilling spill reports and other any other incidents where Enbridge puts making money off of Line 5 above our health, water, lands and safety.”
In a letter to Gov. Evers and the DNR, environmental groups point to how the state of Michigan is moving to halt and review permits on a Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac in light of the recent Iron County spill.
The latest update from Enbridge said it continues to monitor residential wells, test soil and monitor air conditions near the impacted section of pipe. The company said it plans to remove and dispose of the soil in the trench as well as the flatbed truck that struck the line, pending ongoing investigations.
RELATED: Court order pauses some construction on Enbridge Line 5 reroute
