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#Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

"Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

"The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

" #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

" 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

"The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

" 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

"Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

"The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

"The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

"Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

#WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe