In 2013, the courts ruled that Enbridge Pipeline 5 crossed the sacred land of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa and had to be rerouted. The rerouting project faced years of litigation as environmental activists and tribal communities expressed concerns that leaks of natural gas and oil would threaten sensitive ecosystems and the watersheds that the tribes rely on. Enbridge and its supporters, namely Republicans, argued that it was necessary to maintain American energy supplies and jobs.
The courts allowed the project to continue after Enbridge argued that while the project was complicated, they had it under control and that any environmental concerns were unwarranted.
That promise didn't last a week. On August 25, a parked, unattended semi rolled into an open excavation. It slammed into the pipeline, causing it to rupture and spew plumes of natural gas liquids into the air. Even as Enbridge claimed no one was injured, it also admitted that several nearby rural homes had to be evacuated.
The leak quickly drew attention when Joe Bates, an environmental activist and Bad River Band member, took drone footage of it and posted it on social media. It took Enbridge 75 minutes to report it to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. They still haven't reported how much natural gas poured into the environment.
DNR Secretary Karen Hyun and Governor Tony Evers have called on Enbridge to halt any work on the Pipeline 5 project until the natural gas leak can be investigated, any damage is resolved, and measures are in place to prevent any further incidents like this one. So far, Enbridge has not responded.
