Enbridge Starts Line 5 Permitting Process

The process to re-route approximately 40-miles of pipeline across northern Wisconsin has begun.  On February 7, officials with Enbridge announced that they have started the permitting process to move the pipeline from its existing route through land controlled by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to a different route.  A round of multiple permit applications were filed - with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

According to news sources, the existing Line 5 supplies around "65% of the propane supplied to residents in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and around 55% of Michigan’s propane fuel."  The same news article in the Superior Telegram observes that it;s unknown how much of Wisconsin's needs it fulfills.  Line 5 movers around 23 million gallons of oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products each day from Superior to Sarnia, Ontario.

Now that the permit applications have been submitted, Enbridge will hold a series of public meetings to gather and distribute more information.