Wisconsin tribe sues Enbridge to force pipeline removal

MADISON, Wis. – A Native American tribe in Wisconsin is suing Enbridge Inc. in hopes of forcing the Canadian company to remove a key pipeline that runs through their reservation.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Madison.

The Line 5 pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids from Canada to eastern Michigan. Twelve miles of it runs through the Bad River’s reservation along the shores of Lake Superior in far northern Wisconsin.

The tribe argues in the lawsuit that the 66-year-old pipeline could rupture on the reservation and easements for the line expired in 2013. The lawsuit seeks an injunction forcing Enbridge to stop using the line and remove it from the reservation.

An Enbridge spokesman hasn’t responded to a phone message.