VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has notified Congress that it will allow the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) to move forward.
The Justice Department filed court documents stating that the USACE will allow the pipeline to go under Lake Oahe, in North Dakota. The crossing is needed to complete the pipeline.
The 30-inch-diameter, 1 886-km-long pipeline is expected to transport about 470 000 bbl/d of oil, but the pipeline has capacity to transport 570 000 bbl/d. Total North Dakota oilfield crude oil output in September was 962 000 bbl/d.
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has been fighting against the development of the pipeline, owing to concerns over a pipeline leak that could threaten drinking water and because the pipeline goes through sacred tribal ground. It has promised to continue fighting the easement in the courts.
“We are a sovereign nation and we will fight to protect our water and sacred places from the brazen private interests trying to push this pipeline through to benefit a few wealthy Americans with financial ties to the Trump administration,” stated Standing Rock Sioux tribe chairperson Dave Archambault II.
Attorneys for the tribe emphasised that the easement cannot be granted legally at this time.
“The Obama administration correctly found that the tribe’s treaty rights needed to be acknowledged and protected and that the easement should not be granted without further review and consideration of alternative crossing locations. Trump’s reversal of that decision continues a historic pattern of broken promises to Indian tribes and unlawful violation of treaty rights. They will be held accountable in court,” lead attorney for the tribe, Jan Hasselman, said in a statement.