Before Line 5 enters Michigan, it crosses the Bad River in northern Wisconsin. The river is a tributary of Lake Superior.
The Bad River Band says in their emergency filing, the riverbank, on which the pipeline rests, is at risk of collapse.
They say there are only 11 feet of soil between the river and the pipeline - and half of the bank has already eroded away, leaving the area vulnerable to an oil spill.
Enbridge says the filing is unnecessary, and the pipeline continues to operate safely. The company says it’s offered multiple plans to reinforce the riverbank but needs the Bad River Band’s approval to move forward.
Enbridge says it’s working on plans to re-route the pipeline off of the Bad River Band reservation.
