The U.S. Department of Justice is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that blocked a controversial transmission line’s crossing through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
The U.S. DOJ filed the appeal June 8 on behalf of federal agencies that granted approvals for the 345-kilovolt Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line. American Transmission Company, ITC Midwest and Dairyland Power Cooperative are building the line that would run 101 miles from Dane County to Dubuque County in Iowa.
The U.S. DOJ joins utilities in their appeal of a ruling by U.S. District Judge William Conley, who sided with conservation groups that are challenging the project’s approvals. Those groups include the Driftless Area Land Conservancy and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation
