On February 13th, an administrative law judge upheld a key permit granted last year by Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Enbridge to build the line 5 reroute (41 miles of new pipeline) through the watershed of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Wisconsin. This decision comes after the six-week contested case hearing last fall in which attorneys and expert witnesses presented evidence showing that the DNR permitted the project without fully understanding the risks.
Bad River Band has filed a petition for judicial review to challenge Administrative Law Judge Angela Chaput Foy’s decision. In their petition, they request an immediate stay to halt any construction until the Court can hear the legal claims.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sun. Nov. 2nd, 2025 Contact: Robin Clark, Three Waters Pipeline Resistance Team RobinClark12@proton.me
Enbridge Starts Construction Related Activitiesfor Re-Route of Line 5 Pipeline
ASHLAND, WI – Over the past few weeks, the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge Energy has commenced activities such as logging, preparing construction matting, and securing temporary worker housing around the Bad River reservation in anticipation of re-routing a segment of their Line 5 pipeline. While the Army Corps of Engineers issued a federal permit to Enbridge this past week for construction related to the proposed re-route, an order issued by Administrative Law Judge Angela Chaput Foy on February 28, 2025, prohibits Enbridge from moving forward with full construction pending the outcome of a contested case hearing with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources over the project’s permits.
Based on photographs and observations taken by local residents [attached], as well as property data disclosed in Enbridge’s Environmental Impact Statement, lots leased by Enbridge close to the proposed corridor now contain stacks of pipe and construction matting. Active logging on Enbridge parcels has also begun in the last few weeks.
Temporary worker housing locations for out-of-town workers— often referred to as “man camps”— have been established in Cedar, WI, and Ashland, WI, and another is being constructed in Marengo, WI. The camp in Cedar, WI is actively hosting Enbridge workers, according to local residents. The Coyote Hills campground and trailer park in Marengo has been leased by the company, and neighbors have been told the trailers are intended for out-of-town pipeline workers. Enbridge has explicitly stated they will not build “man camps” for the Line 5 reroute project, likely due to the advocacy of the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women movement showing connections between man camps and increased sex trafficking in local communities. Enbridge is claiming that these campgrounds of temporary workers are not man camps. They have not commented on what exactly makes them different.
To see more information and photos on the aforementioned activities or make reports of construction activity related to the proposed re-route, visit watchline5.com > WI Monitoring.The Bad River Band initiated a contested case hearing against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in December of 2024 following the approval of DNR permits for the Line 5 reroute project. Bad River contends that the proposed reroute poses an imminent risk to the wetland-rich ecology of the Bad River watershed and to the Band’s usufrutuary rights, which are protected by treaties signed with the United States federal government. Midwest Environmental Advocates, petitioning with the Sierra Club, 350 Wisconsin, and the League of Women Voters, have also contested the permits. A decision in the contested case proceeding is expected by December.
We received permission from a landowner to monitor for species near the easement north of White River. We encountered orange flagging tape likely marking the easement. Mixed woods, wet soils, species composition indicates area is a wetland during the spring/early summer. Few trails besides deer trails, several hunting blinds.
Early August Rportback
Walked from landowner house on Beaser Rd straight west until reaching easement. Walk took about hour and a half, mainly traversing via deer trails and weaving around fallen trees
Location description: The Brunsweiler River crosses County Road C at: 46°24’25.04”N, 90°48’40.95”W. After the intersection between Highway 13 & County Road C, go West down County Road C). There is a small gravel pull off area for a few cars to park. Easier access to water, but be prepared to scramble down a couple large rocks into river.
Upstream walk description:
Rocky and muddy river bottom, recommend water shoes. The water is up to hip deep, though often possible to walk on the bank
Walk upstream to the easement (about 30 minute easy walk). Walk around the first curve (that curves to the left walking upstream), then a slight curve to the right, then one more slight curve to the left and then you will be near the easement.
There are lots of deadfalls – this would be difficult in a boat
Many sandbars and rock bars
LATE JULY REPORTBACK
The sandbars and rockbars were lined with lots of willows (at least 3 species)
Saw 2 baby snapping turtles right by the river bridge entry spot under the speckled alders
Lots of cedar waxwings at the easement site
Many crawdads (at least 1 was native!)
Lots of herbaceous flowers – boneset, jo pye weed, mugwort, soapwort, sedges, rushes, evenming primrose, plaintain, mints, arrowhead. These were mostly on the floodplain
Raccoon prints
Saw some non local species: buckthorn, birdsfoot trefoil, bittersweet nightshade
