Enbridge Reopens Line 5 As DNR Raises Alarm Over Bypass Work
State officials say the company lacked key approvals even as it routed oil and gas around the spill site in Iron County.
Aerial view of bypass and remediation site captured Sept. 13 in Iron County, Wisconsin. Photo Courtesy of Enbridge
The Line 5 pipeline returned to service through the use of a temporary bypass around the site of a major gas leak last month in Iron County, Enbridge announced Monday.
The company says it worked closely with federal regulators and local officials to protect health and safety while restoring service. Enbridge also says “environmental testing and remediation” work continues at the spill site.
“We continue to work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on relevant permitting and separately on environmental conditions at the incident site,” the company said in a statement.
The news comes after the Wisconsin DNR asked Enbridge last week to stop working to build the bypass around the site of the gas leak because the company did not have state approvals.
In a letter to the company, DNR Secretary Karen Hyun said Enbridge has added to a growing list of environmental concerns and violations that demonstrate “disregard for the environment, human health, and the statutory authority of the department.”
A spokesperson for the DNR said the agency received WPR’s questions about Line 5 returning to service and the status of state permits, but declined to provide additional information Monday.
Line 5 generally carries up to 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior and Sarnia, Ontario.
Enbridge has been building a new segment of the pipeline around the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The tribe and environmental groups have filed legal challenges against state approvals for the project.
On Aug. 25, a flatbed truck struck the pipeline after it rolled into an open construction trench, damaging the line and releasing more than 1 million gallons of natural gas liquids into the atmosphere. A review of federal data showed that the Line 5 gas leak was the largest oil and gas pipeline spill reported in the state in more than 50 years.
According to Enbridge, environmental monitoring at the site continues. The company says wildlife has not been impacted and surface water and well testing have shown no impacts.
“Soil and water monitoring are in place, as are plans to test, remove and properly dispose of the soil in the trench,” the company’s statement read. “The flatbed truck remains onsite and will be removed in conjunction with ongoing incident investigations. We continue to monitor air conditions directly around the impacted section of pipe to determine where crews can safely work.”
But Jadine Sonoda, a campaign coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter, said she was concerned about the environmental remediation effort, saying it “took a really long time for the DNR to be allowed on the site.”
She said Enbridge is controlling the flow of information, and it’s hard to get independent monitoring of the site because there’s still a no-fly zone over the area.
“There hasn’t been a lot of insight from local monitors into what is going on right now, and so it’s really hard to tell from independent parties what Enbridge is doing,” Sonoda said. “Tightly controlling that information does not add to my trust, and really just makes me more nervous.”
She said she was disappointed in the company for moving forward with the bypass without receiving proper state permitting.
“I have not seen anything indicating that DNR has granted those permits, which just amplifies my concern at Enbridge rushing forward with this bypass project,” Sonoda said.
Line 5 pipeline returns to service with bypass around gas leak site in Iron County was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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