Global energy infrastructure company Enbridge has officially begun construction on its long-debated $450 million Line 5 relocation project in northwestern Wisconsin, following the issuance of key federal and state permits. The 41-mile reroute aims to shift a portion of the aging pipeline away from land owned by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, where legal disputes have been ongoing for years.
.jpg)
Work began almost immediately after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized its permit on Feb. 24. The authorization covers approximately 12 miles of pipeline that will run around the tribe’s reservation. Site clearing and mobilization efforts are already underway, according to company officials.
The federal permit followed a Feb. 13 decision by Wisconsin Administrative Law Judge Angela Chaput Foy, who upheld state permits previously granted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in November 2024. Enbridge had originally submitted its application to the DNR in 2020.
The relocation effort comes as Enbridge faces a court-imposed deadline. In 2023, a judge ordered the company to remove the existing pipeline segment from tribal land by June 2026 after the tribe sued in 2019. The lawsuit argued that easements for the 73-year-old pipeline had expired and that continued operation posed spill risks.
Highlighting the extensive regulatory process, Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner described the project as “the most studied pipeline project in Wisconsin’s history.”
The existing Line 5 system transports crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, serving ten refineries and propane production facilities, according to the company.
Despite construction beginning, opposition remains strong. The Bad River Band, represented by the nonprofit public interest group Earthjustice, filed a motion Feb. 19 seeking to halt construction until courts can review its legal claims.
“The Wisconsin DNR approved Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project in violation of Wisconsin’s environmental laws,” said Earthjustice Senior Associate Attorney John Petoskey in a statement.
“On behalf of the Bad River Band, we are asking the court to review the agency’s unlawful approval and to ultimately toss out the permits for this project,” Petosky added. “We are also asking the court to order a stay that will immediately halt any construction activity until our legal claims can be heard.”
Petoskey said the company plans to use trenching, blasting, horizontal directional drilling and direct boring techniques, which he argues have a record of polluting water and damaging wildlife habitat.
“If constructed, the reroute will surround the Band on three sides—all directly upstream of the Band’s reservation—and will risk seriously harming dozens of acres of high-quality and previously undisturbed wetlands, hundreds of pristine waterways, and countless species and areas of unique importance to the Band,” he added.
Additional environmental groups have petitioned Iron County Circuit Court for judicial review and an immediate construction stay.
“We are more committed than ever to protecting Wisconsin’s waters from the irreversible harm this project threatens to cause,” said Midwest Environmental Advocates Senior Staff Attorney Rob Lee in a statement.
“We believe the administrative ruling incorrectly decided critical legal and factual issues, and we are confident that our efforts to hold DNR and Enbridge accountable to Wisconsin’s environmental laws will ultimately be vindicated,” Lee added.
Although Enbridge has not disclosed specific contractors, Kellner said the project will be built by a Wisconsin-based contractor, subcontractors and a union workforce. The company estimates the project will generate approximately 700 union construction jobs, providing a significant short-term economic boost to the region.
The DNR’s approval of permits for the project “confirmed any project construction impacts will be temporary and isolated, have no measurable effect on water quality, and would not violate water quality standards,” Kellner said.
Line 5 remains at the center of a separate political and legal battle in Michigan. There, Enbridge has proposed enclosing a 4.5-mile segment beneath the Straits of Mackinac in a protective tunnel. The company is still seeking permits from both the Corps and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
The permitting process has been expedited following a 2025 executive order signed by Donald Trump declaring an energy emergency.
.jpg)
Meanwhile, Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate the easements allowing Line 5 to operate beneath the Straits. A federal judge ruled against the state in December, prompting Whitmer to appeal to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court is also weighing jurisdictional questions tied to Nessel’s case.
With construction now underway in Wisconsin and legal appeals continuing on multiple fronts, the Line 5 relocation project stands at a pivotal moment. For Enbridge, completing the reroute before the June 2026 deadline is critical to maintaining uninterrupted operations. For tribal leaders and environmental advocates, the courtroom battle remains central to protecting water resources and asserting treaty rights.
The outcome of ongoing litigation will likely shape not only the future of Line 5 in Wisconsin and Michigan, but also broader precedent for pipeline infrastructure projects intersecting with tribal lands and environmentally sensitive areas across the Midwest.
Originally reported by Annemarie Mannion in ENR Midwest.
