Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline Update – August 2025

Contested Case Hearings on DNR Water Permits Begins August 12

Prepared by Nancy Larson, WGF Water Resources Specialist

The contested case hearings on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) water permits for the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline reroute in Wisconsin begin August 12 in Ashland, WI. The hearings will be held in Ashland and Madison and are scheduled to continue into early October. Several groups are legally contesting the permits: The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Midwest Environmental Advocates (on behalf of Sierra Club Wisconsin, the Leage of Women Voters of Wisconsin, and 350 Wisconsin), and Clean Wisconsin. In November 2024 WDNR issued permits to cross waterways and wetlands and manage stormwater. The groups are also challenging WDNR’s determination that the project will meet state water quality standards, a step required for federal permits through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  These legal proceedings are overseen by a Wisconsin Division of Hearings and Appeals administrative law judge. The Midwest Environmental Advocates website has excellent descriptions of the contested case process, as well as information on how the public may attend in person or virtually, and how the public may testify. Testimony provided in contested case hearings is subject to cross examination by the parties.

Since 2019, Wisconsin’s Green Fire has reviewed and commented on the state draft permits and Environmental Impact Statement, and the federal Environmental Assessment for the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline reroute in Wisconsin.  WGF maintains that the plans submitted by Enbridge do not safeguard the public’s water resources. See our December 2024 story outlining our concerns.