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This is as close

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as we could get

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to the Enbridge Line 5

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pipeline gas leak

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on Sitan Road in

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Iron County, Wisconsin.

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The gas pipeline is also

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just outside the

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Bad River Band

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of Lake Superior Chippewa

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reservation

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Enbridge says about

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1.3 million gallons

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of natural liquid gas

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mostly propane and butane

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vaporized into the atmosphere

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after an unoccupied flatbed

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truck rolled into an

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open excavation site.

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I'm Erica Ayisi

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a reporter with PBS Wisconsin

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and I can smell

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the gas that was leaked.

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Enbridge says the safety

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of people, property

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and the environment

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are their priority.

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I spoke with

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Jason Schlender

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of the Great Lakes Indian

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Fish & Wildlife Commission

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who says the tribal community

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is concerned.

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There's always just

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the environmental concern

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the structural concern.

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It's come to light now that

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that they're susceptible to

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really sloppy work

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and so my hope from

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from our organization's

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standpoint is that they

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take time to refocus.

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We also spoke

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with the secretary of the

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Department of Natural Resources.

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There have been several

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issues of noncompliance

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that have happened or

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there have been

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drilling fluid that's leaked

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in the process of their

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horizontal drilling

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under some of the waterways

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as they reroute the pipeline

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around the

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Bad River reservation.

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I heard the concerns

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from GLIFWC

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and other tribal nations

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and we share those concerns

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over those recent

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incidents as well

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which is why we asked

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for a stand-down

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and we continue

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to have robust dialogue

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with Enbridge

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about how they can increase

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their safety and

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environmental compliance

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in compliance with the permits

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that we've issued.

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That site

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and the safety of that site

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is controlled by PHMSA

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which is the Pipeline

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and Hazardous Material

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Safety Administration.

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It's the lead agency

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at the site

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and we haven't had been

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authorized to

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access that site.

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But we're

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continuing to monitor

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the situation as it develops

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and we'll be ready

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to be on site

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as soon as we can

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to evaluate the impacts.

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If you want to know

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more about

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how Enbridge is handling

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this massive gas leak

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and what the DNR

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is asking of them, go to

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pbswisconsin.org

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and click on the news tab.