Legal Saga Over 72-Year-Old International Pipeline Continues in Midwest States
By: Phoebe Liccardo
The Ecological Significance of Line 5
An indigenous nation in Wisconsin and the state government in Michigan have brought lawsuits against the same international pipeline under the laws of trespass and public trust. Enbridge Energy, LP (Enbridge) operates Line 5, a pipeline transporting 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas daily through northern Wisconsin and northeast Michigan.[1] Completed in 1954 and designed for fifty years of use, Line 5 is now 22 years beyond its intended lifespan.[2] Line 5 traverses 400 rivers, streams, wetlands, and other critical ecosystems along its path to Sarnia, Ontario.[3] Two of these ecosystems, the Bad River in northern Wisconsin and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, are the subject of ongoing legal battles.[4]
