Local News

FBI leads probe into fire at Line 5 reroute in Wisconsin

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading a probe into a fire that occurred last Thursday at a drilling site for Enbridge's reroute of its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in northern Wisconsin.

The Ashland County Sheriff's Office and the Ashland Fire Department were called to a fire involving an equipment trailer and two boring machines in the Ashland County town of Gingles. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, said Wednesday the FBI is spearheading the investigation as federal agencies work with state and local authorities.

"ATF is specifically working on the origin and cause determination as well as other matters. However, we are limited on sharing any further information as this is a part of a larger investigation being led by the FBI," said Ashlee Sherrill, an ATF public affairs specialist.

An FBI spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Division of Criminal Investigations and State Fire Marshal's Office within the Wisconsin Department of Justice are supporting agencies involved in the probe. A DOJ spokesperson referred questions to local authorities.

Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said the incident was one of two fires "of suspicious origin" that occurred last week. A separate fire was reported Sept. 14 at the company's office in Superior, which was in the process of being sold to the private school Superior Learning Academy.

"Enbridge supports everyone's right to express their views legally and peacefully about the energy we all use every single day. These incidents were neither legal nor peaceful," Kellner said. "Illegal and unsafe acts by criminal saboteurs endanger themselves, the local community, first responders and our workers. We take these incidents very seriously and will seek the prosecution of those individuals involved to the fullest extent of the law."

Enbridge didn't provide an estimate of cost of damages from the fires.

Chief Deputy Dave Dawson of the Ashland County Sheriff's Office said it was unable to comment, as the investigation remains ongoing.

The fires come weeks after an Aug. 25 gas leak on Enbridge's Line 5 in the Iron County town of Saxon.

The company has said an unoccupied flatbed truck rolled into an open construction trench and struck the pipeline, releasing 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids into the atmosphere. WPR previously reported that federal data shows it's the company's and state's largest oil and gas pipeline spill in more than 50 years.

Enbridge's Line 5 carries up to 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario, serving 10 refineries and propane facilities in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. The pipeline runs through the Upper Peninsula, including Dickinson and Iron counties, and under water in the Straits of Mackinac to reach Lower Michigan.

Enbridge restored service to Line 5 the weekend of Sept. 12 after constructing a temporary bypass amid objections from state environmental regulators. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had asked the company to halt work, saying the company lacked state approvals.

"All work performed for construction of the bypass was done consistent with either conditions required in existing permits or our application for an amendment to the stormwater permit," Kellner said.

A DNR spokesperson said the agency continues to evaluate all options in response to unpermitted construction.

DNR Secretary Karen Hyun told the Natural Resources Board Wednesday that the agency has been in close communication with Enbridge officials, adding the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has allowed DNR staff to access the site.

"The agency feels deeply concerned about what happened at Saxon," Hyun said. "We are going to do everything we can under our authority to make sure that that site is cleaned up and remediated to our full extent."

Environmental advocates have called on the state to revoke permits for the Line 5 reroute, and Bad River Tribal Chair Liz Arbuckle has said the tribe issued a disaster declaration over the spill.

A DNR spokesperson didn't comment on the call to revoke the company's permits.

Both Enbridge and the agency said the truck and damaged section of the pipeline have now been removed from the site. Kellner said the damaged pipe has been sent for metallurgical analysis, which is in line with a corrective action order issued by PHMSA.

Kellner noted that air monitoring continues to show safe air quality beyond the site of the leak and evacuation area, adding that monitoring wells show no contamination. The company is planning to test, remove and properly dispose of about two-tenths of an acre of soil, which state regulators say is set to begin next week.

A DNR spokesperson said staff witnessed collection of soil from the excavation area and water samples on Sept. 14, and the company is splitting samples with the DNR for independent analysis at separate labs. Samples will be tested for volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a group of chemicals found in crude oil and gas.

The DNR and an independent contractor will be at the spill site this week, and agency staff will meet daily until excavation is complete.