The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday issued a notice of violation to Enbridge Energy Co. for alleged permit violations in Iron and Ashland counties.
The DNR said the notice pertains to violations of permit conditions for the Line 5 reroute construction project, where an Aug. 25 gas leak released over 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids into the air and caused the evacuation of nearby homes, and violations of state environmental laws for the unpermitted construction of a bypass around the spill site.
According to the DNR, a notice of violation is a formal letter listing specific alleged violations and the potential consequences for each violation, including forfeitures.
Allegations include violations of state water quality, wetland, navigable waterway, air quality, storm water and endangered resources protection laws.
The letter also establishes an enforcement conference — a standard enforcement step at which the DNR and Enbridge officials discuss the allegations.
Following the enforcement conference, the DNR said it can take additional enforcement action such as issuing citations and referring the case to the Wisconsin Department of Justice for prosecution.
