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State Department of Natural Resources officials are expected to rule early this week on a proposed petroleum pipeline from Superior to Delavan.

Phase one of Enbridge Inc.'s 321-mile pipeline would cross through the northeast corner of Clark County and diagonally from the northwest corner to the southeast corner of Wood County, intersecting lakes, rivers, forests and wetlands on private and public lands.

The public comment period on a series of DNR permits for construction of the pipeline has ended. About 30 individuals and several environmental groups raised questions about the permits and the environmental impact of the pipeline, said Jeff Schimpff, project manager for the DNR Office of Energy in Madison.

"A lot of people are asking for environmental impact statements," he said.
Of particular interest to groups such as the River Alliance of Wisconsin is the impact the construction would have on wetlands and forests, according to a River Alliance news release.

"Wildlife habitat will be cleared and outdoor recreation areas used for hunting and fishing will suffer," said Lori Grant, policy manager for the Alliance in the written statement.

The biggest concern the DNR has discovered in reviewing public comments, Schimpff said, is over the width of the 100-foot-wide construction work space in wetlands and wooded areas.

"They have expressed a reserved interest in that," he said.

The pipeline would cross about 250 to 400 wetlands, Schimpff said.

The weight of the 59-inch diameter pipe could be particularly damaging to streams during spring spawning, he said. The pipe could change stream beds, limiting the ability of fish to swim to their desired spawning locations.

"That's a big pipe, so it's going to displace a lot of soil," Schimpff said.

Enbridge is waiting for several permit approvals, including wetland water quality certification, a storm water permit, pollution discharge and permits to construct near American Indian burial grounds and sacred sites, among others.

The company does not foresee any problems securing the permits because Enbridge has gone through two rounds of public comment on the pipeline and has been working with the DNR to ensure the pipeline meets its environmental protection requirements, said Denise Hamsher, Enbridge director of regulatory and government affairs.

"I believe none of the restrictions are surprises," she said. "Work of this magnitude always requires some flexibility."

Enbridge officials want work started before winter to reduce the impact on the environment, Hamsher said.

If everything goes according to Enbridge's design, 70 miles of the pipeline would be installed in Washburn and Douglas counties this winter, and the remaining section -- through central Wisconsin to Delavan -- would be in place in the spring or summer, she said.

"We are all ready to go," Hamsher said.

The U.S. portion of the pipeline expansion would add a total capacity of 400,000 barrels per day, at an estimated cost of about $1 million, according to Enbridge's Web site.