No one should have to live with the fear that an environmental catastrophe could occur at any moment. Unfortunately, the members of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians have been living this way for years; they have been asking Enbridge to remove its old, deteriorating pipeline from their land for years, to no avail. Enbridge's refusal to remove the pipeline has placed immense risk not only on those who live near the pipeline, but also on the entire region that relies on the area's water for fishing, harvesting wild rice, and more. Yesterday, the Bad River Band had to file a federal lawsuit to ensure its lands are safe from harm for generations to come.
The Bad River Reservation, located in northern Wisconsin, currently sits on top of 12 miles of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, which carries 23 million gallons of crude oil and propane every day. Enbridge’s easement rights expired in 2013. As the Bad River continues to erode surrounding landscapes, this makes the surrounding community more susceptible to a potentially disastrous oil spill. There is definitely cause for alarm as an Enbridge oil pipeline has broken over a major waterway before, and we've seen how devastating oil spills can be.
In 2010, the company's Line 6B pipeline ruptured in southern Michigan, releasing 800,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River system. This spill took many years and up to $1 billion dollars to clean up. Enbridge’s history with damages should be taken into consideration as the legal case proceeds.
Michigan’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, has already filed a lawsuit back in June that aims to shut down the portion of Line 5 that is located under the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Michigan and Huron. With this and the Bad River Band’s lawsuit, these legal cases aim to protect three of the five Great Lakes: Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior.
We have been fighting the expansion and development of Enbridge pipelines in Wisconsin and supporting the Bad River Band's call to remove Line 5. Enbridge has a poor record on environmental safety, spill protection, and treatment of communities. People need to be protected before pipelines.
Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Chair, says it best: “Delay is not our friend and the oil tunnel is not a solution to protecting the Great Lakes and other Michigan waterways from a Line 5 spill.” Through public support, we can show the members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa that we stand with them and their case for adequate environmental protections. Contact us if you’re interested in learning about what’s being done in or near your community. This legal battle is just beginning and there is a long road ahead. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is leading the fight with this lawsuit, and we are committed to fighting with them to ensure Wisconsin is connected by our waterways, not pipelines.
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