Megan Wittman, megan.wittman@sierraclub.org
MADISON, Wis. – At a recent Gubernatorial Forum focused on Wisconsin’s energy and electric sector, candidates shared strong words about Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipeline reroute project, which has been partially stayed by a Circuit Court Judge.
The forum was hosted by 350 Wisconsin, Faith in Place, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, in partnership with the Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin, and included 8 of the 9 candidates for Governor, including Democrats Mandela Barnes, Joel Brennan, David Crowley, Francesca Hong, Missy Hughes, Sara Rodriguez and Kelda Roys and Republican Andy Manske. U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany declined to attend.
Enbridge’s 41-mile reroute project in northern Wisconsin has been challenged by the environmental groups and by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, whose reservation would be encircled by the new Canadian-owned pipeline. In Michigan, Governor Whitmer and Attorney General Nessel have taken legal action to protect the Great Lakes from the aging Line 5 pipeline and the risk of a potential spill. The next Governor of Wisconsin will have to address the ongoing threat posed by Line 5 to our Great Lakes.
“It’s striking that almost every candidate raised concerns about Line 5 and Enbridge’s behavior. Shutting down this pipeline is critical to respect the Bad River Band’s sovereignty and protect the Great Lakes and the local watershed. Wisconsinites aren’t happy about the reroute project, and we’re looking to our next governor to quickly act on it,” said Elizabeth Ward, Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter Director.
Statements from candidates at the forum (in alphabetical order):
Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes: “[. . .] when we look at the issue of Line 5, the fact that communities have stood up in opposition, the fact that Tribal sovereignty has been disregarded, the fact that people's pleas for this to not happen and it continues to be ignored is an indictment on the way that things have been going for far too long.”
Greater Milwaukee Committee President Joel Brennan: “Specifically with Line 5 and the Bad River Band, I mean, I think this starts and almost ends with tribal sovereignty and our approach to that and ensuring that we have high regard and respect for the nation-to-nation consultation process and the nation-to-nation relationships.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley: “Corporate convenience, let's be honest, it should never come before treaty rights or clean water or just the health and wealth of the Great Lakes, because it is our greatest asset that we have.”
State Rep. Francesca Hong: “My position on Line 5 since day one is that it should be shut down and not rerouted. I have been actively engaging with water protectors and folks who are on the ground, you know, reporting on what is happening with Enbridge's expansion . . . We have to stop both Line 5 and both its current form and the reroute as well.”
Former WEDC CEO Missy Hughes: “I would work to shut down that project across our very delicate lands, and make sure that we have the focus on building the energy infrastructure that we need. Wisconsin has the opportunity to be the manufacturer of that energy infrastructure, and that's where we need to focus our work and our resources.”
Medical Service technician Andy Manske: “[. . .] what's necessarily good for their profits isn't exactly good for our environment, isn't good for our Great Lakes, isn't good for the future of Wisconsin as a whole [. . . ] this is going through your native land, this is going through your land, this is going through your communities, this is a big thing [. . ]. So end of the day, I mean, what's good for these corporations isn't necessarily good for the people. The people absolutely have to have a say in the matter.”
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez: “[. . .] the Bad River Band is a sovereign nation, and that the Bad River is their homeland. It's not a pipeline corridor, and the community has been clear what it needs, and I do stand with them about what they're wanting [. . .] Line 5 is a 1953 oil pipeline owned by a Canadian corporation that has a documented history of spills and that happened in Minnesota. And it's moving Canadian oil through Wisconsin to Ontario, so it's not really helping us specifically [. . .] I don't think one foreign oil company gets to dictate what Wisconsin's water future or override a sovereign nation's treaty rights. They just simply don't.”
State Senator Kelda Roys did not comment on the Line 5 pipeline.
RECORDINGS of the candidate forum are below:
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.