The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has filed a lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers for unlawfully granting Canadian company Enbridge a permit for the construction of a new 41-mile section of its Line 5 oil pipeline.
“For more than a decade, we have had to endure the unlawful trespass of a dangerous oil pipeline on our lands and waters,” said Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle. “The reroute only makes matters worse. Enbridge’s history is full of accidents and oil spills. If that happens here, our Tribe and other communities in the Northwoods will suffer unacceptable consequences. From the Bad River to Lake Superior, our waters are the lifeblood of our Reservation. They have fed and nurtured our Tribe for hundreds of years. We will do everything in our power to protect them.”
In a separate legal challenge, the Band is contesting permits that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources granted Enbridge last year. Although construction on the reroute is legally barred until an administrative law judge rules on that challenge, community members have already documented Enbridge violations, including logging, road work and the construction of a man camp. Community monitoring of Enbridge construction activities is ongoing, please support this effort and keep checking this website for reports received from folks on the ground.
Indigenous Water Protectors and the Duluth Light Brigade sent these images and videos of their action along the highway in Duluth, with more videos visible on fb. Thank you for the update, keep em coming!
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.
A brief report-back from the Nibi Walk held on October 11 along the proposed path of the Line 5 reroute in Wisconsin. For Nibi Walk explanation and protocols, please see https://www.nibiwalk.org/about/: “Led by Anishinaabe Grandmothers, Water Walks respect the truth that water is a life giver, and because women also give life they are the keepers of the water.” Community members walked in ceremony from the Mashkiiziibii (Bad River) in Mellen to Lake Superior in Ashland. Thank you to Adrienne for sharing their message and images from the walk, along with a few additional images we received.
Boozhoo, hello my name is Adrienne Leoso, my Ojibwe name is 3 Standing Woman, I am Wolf Clan from Bad River Wisconsin. I am so happy to be here on this beautiful day. Today I think about the future, my children’s children’s children. I walk for them.
Ninga izhichige nibi onji – I will do it for the water
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
