Corps of Engineers extends comment period on its draft Wisconsin Line 5 combined decision document

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is extending the public comment period on its draft Line 5 combined decision document to Aug. 30.

The Corps in a news release announced it is extending the comment period to ensure the public has sufficient time to review updated information on the Corps’ website and provide comments regarding the Corps’ federal action.

This comes after the Corps held a public forum in June in Ashland where more than 130 people registered to speak about the project.

The Corps is analyzing Enbridge’s application for a permit under the Clean Water Act and has completed a draft assessment of the $450 million project. The Corps also regulates construction on federal waters included in the project and Enbridge’s intent to drill under the White River, but will not regulate the overall construction or operation of the pipeline.

The 645-mile long oil/natural gas pipeline starts in Superior, runs through northern Wisconsin and Michigan, and terminates near Sarnia, Canada. Within Ashland County the existing Line 5 pipeline crosses through 12 miles of the Bad River Reservation. In June 2023, following a successful lawsuit, U.S. District Judge William Conley ordered Enbridge to cease operating Line 5 on the reservation entirely by June 2026.

Enbridge has been working since 2020 to receive federal and state permits to do so. The draft reroute would redirect Line 5 around the boundaries of the reservation and replace approximately 20 miles of the existing Line 5 pipeline with a 41-mile new segment located entirely outside the boundaries of the reservation. If the project is approved, construction is expected to last about a year.

The original comment period was scheduled to end July 5, but was subsequently extended to Aug. 4. No further changes or updates to the document or its appendices are expected prior to closure of the public comment period on Aug. 30, according to the release.