Tribe and environmental groups urge Wisconsin officials to rule against relocating pipeline

A tribal leader and conservationists urged state officials to reject plans to relocate part of an aging northern Wisconsin pipeline, warning that the threat of a catastrophic spill would still exist along the new route. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued in 2019 to force Enbridge to remove 12 miles of pipeline that crosses their reservation. Enbridge wants to reroute the pipeline around the reservation but needs multiple government permits to do so. The tribal chair and other environmental groups pushed back on this proposal during an online hearing Thursday. They urged the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to determine that the project does not comply with the state’s coastal protection policies.