Today, 350 Wisconsin and Sierra Club Wisconsin released an analysis of the 32,000 comments that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received in response to the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 expansion. The analysis shows that a large majority of the unprecedented 32,000 comments oppose Line 5. The DEIS was released in December and the DNR accepted comments through April 15.
This analysis makes clear what we have known all along- Enbridge’s proposed expansion of the Line 5 pipeline is too dangerous for our climate, water, and Lake Superior. We cannot afford it.
Some key takeaways:
- 63% (about 20,000 of the 32,000) of commenters want the DNR to deny permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 proposal.
- The majority of comments listed climate change, treaty rights, waterways, wetlands, and Lake Superior as areas of concern.
The biggest inaccuracy that was found among pro-project comments was the idea that Enbridge's proposal avoids sensitive resources and avoids the concerns that led to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Bad River) opting not to renew Enbridge’s lease on their land. However, Bad River’s own comments affirm their opposition to any Enbridge pipeline in the treaty-protected Bad River watershed:
" ...to fully comply with the repeated resolutions of the Band, Enbridge must remove the pipeline from the entire Mashkiigon-ziibi (Bad River) watershed. Enbridge’s proposal to locate the pipeline around and upstream of the Bad River Reservation still unreasonably interferes with the Band’s treaty- protected rights to fish, hunt, and gather, and to control the use of its lands consistent with public health, safety, and welfare."
Read the full report here. You can also read our press release here.
There are a handful of conclusions in the report:
- The risks Enbridge wants to impose on our climate, Lake Superior, and our waterways require the utmost scrutiny.
- If Enbridge is allowed to construct the proposed segment of the Line 5 pipeline, irreparable harm will likely occur.
- After a careful, detailed remake of the DEIS, the DNR will find it has no option but to deny Enbridge permits to build the Line 5 pipeline.
Here's a synopsis of the findings of the report:
To learn more and take action. click here.