Overview
- An early-morning blaze destroyed a horizontal directional drill rig and support equipment on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute in Ashland County with no reported injuries, and the company described the damage and graffiti at the site as vandalism.
- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued a formal notice of violation accusing Enbridge of seven alleged breaches, including failures in erosion and sediment controls, unpermitted construction, discharges into state waters, and unauthorized impacts to wetlands and waterways.
- The DNR scheduled an enforcement teleconference for Oct. 26, 2026 to review the violations and said it may issue fines of up to $10,000 per day, pursue air pollution penalties, or refer the case to the Wisconsin Department of Justice for prosecution.
- Federal investigators from the FBI and ATF are probing earlier fires that damaged Enbridge equipment, and state investigators are still examining the Aug. 25 release of more than 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids and a reported groundwater discharge near the Marengo River.
- The incidents increase legal and reputational pressure on Enbridge’s roughly $1 billion, 41-mile reroute around Bad River Band land, a project that is about two-thirds complete and has drawn strong tribal and environmental opposition.