Wisconsin DNR asks Enbridge to halt work on Line 5 reroute amid gas leak
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has asked Enbridge to halt work on its Line 5 reroute in response to a gas leak that began Tuesday.
The DNR sent a letter Thursday to Enbridge officials that highlights frustration among state regulators over the lack of details that have been released regarding the gas leak that occurred Tuesday on Enbridge's Line 5 in Iron County.
Enbridge has said a parked, unoccupied semi truck rolled into an open excavation site on a Line 5 valve project Tuesday morning, striking the pipe and releasing natural gas liquids. The company has said crews continue to work with local emergency response teams to stabilize the site. No one was injured, and a nearby home was evacuated as a precaution. Line 5 remains shut down as the response continues.
In the letter, DNR Secretary Karen Hyun said the agency is "deeply concerned" by the spill and "immensely frustrated" by other events where the company has failed to comply with state regulations.
"The department requests that you halt work on the pipeline re-routing project until this event on the existing pipeline is sufficiently resolved and Enbridge has demonstrated that measures are in place to prevent future spill events related to all pipeline work," Hyun wrote.
An Enbridge spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The DNR also asked Enbridge to address more than 20 questions regarding the leak, which include the estimates of the volume and the worst-case release of propane and butane vapors during the spill, as well as the company's estimated timeline for implementing measures to control the release.
Late Wednesday, Enbridge said in a statement that it anticipated returning the pipeline to service between Monday and Sept. 5.
WPR previously reported the leak remains ongoing.
"The people of Wisconsin expect Enbridge to be transparent and accountable, and so do we," Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. "We're exceedingly concerned about the recent events involving Enbridge, and it's important that we receive answers expeditiously to our questions so we can ensure this situation is being taken seriously."
The DNR is also seeking the results of air modeling that's being performed and what substances are included in air monitoring data that's being collected by Enbridge's consultant and local authorities. The DNR is collaborating with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to assess potential impacts to public health.
WPR previously reported that air monitoring conducted by the Ashland Fire Department's haz-mat team Wednesday found no hazardous levels or flammable gas within a 1-mile radius of the incident. The team used a five-gas meter to detect levels of oxygen, combustible gases, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and volatile organic compounds.
Air monitoring is ongoing. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa advised residents that levels remain below harmful levels, but an odor like gasoline may be present south and west of the site over the next several days due to shifts in the weather.
The DNR is seeking meteorological details of the vapor plume and odors present along with details on groundwater depth at the site, as well as when monitoring wells may be installed.
Regulators also want any information on the evacuation radius and details shared with the federal Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and other federal agencies. An investigator from PHMSA has been deployed.
The letter states that Wisconsin tribes and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission have also raised questions and concerns about the spill near Saxon, as well as other incidents that have occurred over the past several weeks and months.
The DNR sought information on how Enbridge plans to maintain communication with tribal nations and GLIFWC throughout the response, and the agency urged the company to maintain "frequent and ongoing" communication with local officials.
Enbridge's Line 5 carries up to 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily and extends 645 miles from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario. The 30-inch pipeline runs through the Upper Peninsula, including Dickinson and Iron counties, before crossing underwater at the Straits of Mackinac to the Lower Peninsula.
Construction of Enbridge's $1 billion reroute of Line 5 in Wisconsin has been ongoing. The company is building a new 41-mile stretch around the Bad River tribe's reservation in Ashland and Iron counties.
At least four releases of drilling fluid, or frac-outs, have occurred on the Line 5 project, ranging from roughly 5 gallons to up to 1,900 gallons spilled in late June. A DNR spokesperson said the agency has issued four notices of non-compliance on the project, all of which have been resolved.