Frederica Freyberg:
The Wisconsin DNR has approved a wetland and waterway permit to Enbridge for its controversial oil pipeline through and around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation. The permit allows Enbridge to conduct construction, meeting more than 200 conditions for wetlands and waterways standards. Enbridge is proposing to replace 20 miles of existing pipeline, including portions within the reservation and 41 miles of new pipeline routed around it. The company still needs additional federal permitting. Tribal officials said the construction would devastate area wetlands and streams and endanger wild rice beds. “I’m angry that the DNR has signed off on a half-baked plan that spells disaster for our homeland and our way of life,” Band River Band Chairman Robert Blanchard said in a statement. “We will continue sounding the alarm to prevent yet another Enbridge pipeline from endangering our watershed.” A tribal lawsuit to remove the pipeline from its land altogether awaits a decision in federal court.