Dakota Access pipeline work to resume near large protest

Construction on the four-state Dakota Access pipeline will resume on private land in North Dakota that’s near a camp where thousands of protesters supporting tribal rights have gathered for months, Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline, said Tuesday. In turn, protesters said they’re discussing nonviolent opposition measures, including chaining themselves to equipment. The latest developments follow Sunday’s federal appeals court ruling that allowed construction to resume within 20 miles of Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir that is the water supply for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The $3.8 million, 1,200-mile pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois is otherwise largely complete.

In light of Sunday’s court decision, Dakota Access looks forward to a prompt resumption of construction activities east and west of Lake Oahe on private land. We reiterate our commitment to protect cultural resources, the environment and public safety.

Energy Transfer Partners statement

Energy Transfer Partners still needs approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work on a separate parcel of federal land bordering and under Lake Oahe, which the agency manages. The Corps said Monday it was not ready to give that approval because it is still reviewing the way tribal views are considered for such projects. The Standing Rock Sioux want construction halted because of concerns about potential contamination of its water supply and say the pipeline will encroach on tribal burial sites and other cultural artifacts. Thousands of people have joined the protest in support of the tribe. Of the protesters, 123 people have been arrested since mid-August, including actress Shailene Woodley and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

The people are going to stay vigilant. They’re going to fight this pipeline to the very end.

Red Warrior Camp spokesman Cody Hall

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