by Steve Glass
–Madison, WI Monday Jan 13, 2025–Third Act Wisconsin (TAWI), as part of a broad international coalition of climate activists, indigenous water protectors, and concerned citizens, rallied today at the Wisconsin Capitol Building Rotunda, and later at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) headquarters to protest the Nov. 14, 2024 WDNR permit to Enbridge to construct a 41-mile reroute of its Line 5 oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin. That approval came soon after the WDNR was notified of a pipeline leak from Enbridge’s Line 6 in Jefferson County, WI–just a short drive from the WDNR’s Madison headquarters offices.
The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have for years fought Line 5–which trespasses on their tribal lands–and, which if it ruptured or leaked, would threaten their traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering grounds, not to mention nearby Lake Superior. As an example of their struggle, in 2013 the Bad River Band did not renew Enbridge’s lease, but Enbridge refused to leave the reservation. Then in 2019 the Bad River Band filed a federal lawsuit to remove the pipeline from their reservation. In 2022 a federal judge ruled that Enbridge was trespassing on the Tribe’s land and must remove the pipeline by 2026. Line 5 carries up to 23 million gallons of crude oil and methane gas every day from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario.
The international coalition present at the rally included the Cross Border Organizing Working Group, Communities United by Water, Olivier Huard of “Le vivant se defend/ Life defends itself” from Montreal, indigenous Grassroots and Land Defenders, climate justice organizers, Third Act Wisconsin, and concerned Wisconsin residents.
This group of about 50 individuals, including youth and elders, gathered about 9am at the Capitol Rotunda to hear from activists from the U.S. and Canada, including Indigenous Water Protectors, speak with determination and frustration about the WDNR permit for a Line 5 reroute. One rally participant was said to the crowd: “We are not going away.” This permit was issued over the objections of the Bad River Band and the general public because of the damage it will cause to water bodies in the area.
The group then marched to the nearby WDNR Headquarters and asked to speak with Greg Pils, Director of the Bureau of Environmental Analysis and Sustainability, and to deliver a letter demanding that:
- The WDNR rescind its permit to construct a 41 mile reroute of LIne 5.
- The WDNR decommission the entire Line 5 which has been trespassing on Bad River Band land since 2013 when the Bad River Band did not renew the Enbridge lease to operate on Bad River land.
The group waited in the WDNR reception lobby–in vain–to speak with Director Pils and finally left about 4pm without satisfaction. While waiting, the group chanted, sang, drummed, and read aloud the letter they hoped to present to Director Pills. Director Pills told a local news outlet that he could not comment on the situation because of a current lawsuit against the WDNR over the pipeline.
As is often the case with modern day protests, the coalition brought art. Of note was a large replica of Line 5 pipeline marked with black paint simulating oil. It was handmade by TAWI member Russ Bennett. The pipeline prop was prominently displayed in front of the WDNR headquarter building, for all to see.
The story of the origin of pipeline prop, according to Russ: ‘”Well, we try not to waste anything, right, none of us want to be adding to the waste of the world. So, this was in the dumpster at the Alliant Energy Center,” said Russ Bennett. “The athletes for the CrossFit Games, average income $250,000, they threw this away and I thought, ”What a great pipeline. It’s so portable. The black paint was also curb-picked as well.”
The protest action drew wide attention from the Madison and state news media. Here are some samples of coverage:
WORT FM
https://www.wortfm.org/water-defenders-protest-enbridge-pipeline-at-dnr/
WISC TV Channel 3 https://www.channel3000.com/news/protesters-demonstrate-against-line-5-reroute-permit/article_6786d71e-d203-11ef-8697-73346d2b499b.html
WKOW TV Channel 27 https://www.channel3000.com/news/protesters-demonstrate-against-line-5-reroute-permit/article_6786d71e-d203-11ef-8697-73346d2b499b.html
Communities United by Water
Steve Glass is Communications Coordinator for Third Act Wisconsin