Army Corps Approves Enbridge Line 5 Rerout

A plan to reroute a 12-mile segment of a 72-year-old Enbridge Inc. pipeline around Northern Wisconsin tribal lands has received approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa wants the 12 miles removed from its land, and the tribe and environmental groups have also opposed construction of the new section since filing a lawsuit in 2019.

The Enbridge pipeline carries petroleum products 620 miles between Sarnia, Ontario, and Superior, Wisconsin. The new project to reroute the pipeline section that crosses the reservation will be 41 miles in length. It runs between Ashland and Iron counties in Wisconsin.

It also requires permitting by the State of Wisconsin.

The pipeline also requires different permitting for a 4-mile section that crosses the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. The Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility to review permits for work or structures “in, over, or under” navigable waterways of the United States.