Attorney Brian Jorde and Domina Law Group are representing over 20 Wisconsin landowners and a property rights group who are fighting a Canadian company’s attempt to take their private property in order to reroute an oil pipeline.
As reported by The Journal Times, Enbridge Energy has asked the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to grant the power of eminent domain to take land in Iron and Ashland Counties to build over 40 miles of new pipeline around the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin. In order to grant such power, the Wisconsin PSC must determine whether the project is in the public interest.
While Enbridge has argued its pipeline is a critical piece of infrastructure providing fuel for residential and commercial property owners in Eastern Canada and the Midwest, it’s faced criticism from environmental advocates who say it’s a threat to natural resources, and landowners whose properties fall along the proposed pipeline route.
Advocates and landowners have filed petitions requesting contested hearings, saying the pipeline poses potential risks that far outweigh any benefit, and is not in the public interest. Landowners also argue that because the pipeline would only benefit Enbridge shareholders, granting eminent domain would be unconstitutional.
As Attorney Brian Jorde tells The Journal Times:
“No person living in Wisconsin can use this pipeline. No citizen, no person will directly benefit if it is constructed by taking my clients’ land.”
Brian Jorde and our legal team at Domina Law Group have been trusted by landowners, non-profit organizations, and environmental advocates in a range of disputes over private land and eminent domain, including the high-profile fight against the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. If you have questions about a potential legal matter, contact our firm to speak with an attorney.