The site of a natural gas liquids leak at an Enbridge Line 5 valve project near Saxon in Iron County
Source: Enbridge
Sep 1, 2026, 9:28 AM ET
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Enbridge is temporarily pausing work on its Line 5 pipeline reroute following a natural gas liquids leak in Iron County.
The leak happened Aug. 25 on Sitan Road near Saxon when a parked, unoccupied subcontractor semi-truck rolled into an open excavation at a Line 5 valve project. The truck struck the pipeline, releasing natural gas liquids into the air. No one was injured, but a nearby home was evacuated as a precaution.
Enbridge estimates about 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of mostly propane and butane vaporized into the atmosphere.
Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said in a statement that the company will pause to conduct a project-wide safety stand-down for construction workers.
“This 48-hour period will commence on Aug. 31, 2026, and will reinforce our existing safety practices and identify opportunities to further enhance our strong safety culture,” Kellner wrote.
DNR responds to Enbridge stand-down
The temporary pause follows an Aug. 27 letter from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asking Enbridge to halt construction. The DNR wants the leak resolved and steps in place to prevent future spills.
The agency also asked Enbridge for more information about the release, its response and potential public health impacts.
“The agency is deeply concerned about this spill and immensely frustrated by other recent noncompliance events and has several outstanding questions of Enbridge and would appreciate written responses as expeditiously as possible,” DNR Secretary Karen Hyun wrote.
In an email to Civic Media Tuesday, a DNR spokesperson said the agency is “encouraged by the company’s stand-down to reinforce critical safety practices to help ensure a successful and safe conclusion to the reroute project.”
The DNR has not yet been allowed onto the site. PHMSA, the federal agency leading the response, has not authorized DNR staff to enter.
“The Enbridge natural gas release is currently considered an active incident and safety is paramount,” the spokesperson said. “At this time, PHMSA, the lead agency on this incident, has not authorized DNR staff to enter the site. Therefore the DNR is unable to speculate on the environmental impacts or the clean-up procedures that will need to be executed.”
Once the DNR gets access, they plan to check for impacts to groundwater, soil and surface water. Enbridge has also started sampling surface water in areas considered safe to enter and will provide those results to the DNR.
Response continues at leak site
Meanwhile, work continues at the site of the leak. Enbridge began using trailer-mounted flare stacks over the weekend to burn off remaining vapors from the isolated section of Line 5.
As of Saturday evening, Enbridge said about 2,000 barrels, or 84,000 gallons, of liquid product remained contained within the excavation area.
Air monitoring continues at the site and in the surrounding area. Enbridge says monitoring has shown safe air quality where crews are working, but a half-mile evacuation zone remains in place. A no-fly zone issued by the Iron County Sheriff also remains in effect.
About 150 people are working on the response. Local first responders left the site Sunday, with a private contractor taking over those duties.
Line 5 remains shut down, but Enbridge says it hopes to restore service to the pipeline by Sept. 5.
Maddie Schaffer is a reporter at WBZH and WHSM, covering the Hayward area and surrounding areas in the Northwoods. Email her at maddie.schaffer@civicmedia.us.
