MADISON (WKOW) — Testimony on Friday at the Hill Farms State Office Building regarding Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline focused on the potential impacts of blasting around the Bad River Reservation on nearby communities and habitats.

The hearings examined the environmental risks associated with the use of explosives in the excavation process. Jesse Hampton, an expert witness for Clean Wisconsin, explained that using explosives causes rock fractures that cannot be guaranteed to remain within the excavation site.

"Fractures extend beyond the excavation zone because the bucket can only penetrate rock that has been sufficiently fractured," Hampton said.

Enbridge's attorneys argued that fractures are a common occurrence in all excavation projects. Hampton countered this by emphasizing the differen

See Full Page