The Army Corp of Engineers fully plans to grant the corporation building the Dakota Access Pipeline the easement they need to complete construction according to court documents.
According to Bloomberg, the Army corp is set to grant the Energy Transfer Partner LP the easement they require in order to complete the mostly-completed DAPL.
Previously, the Obama administration had belatedly ruled in favor of ongoing protests, required an environmental impact survey before the easement could be granted. Now that Obama is out, it appears that both the Trump administration and Army corp have no respect for the legal binding of that order.
The Army Corp of Engineers has apparently been eager to listen to the new Commander in Chief, and by doing so, they are betraying the American people.
Protests raged for months over the pipeline and its location in the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s sacred lands. Protesters who called themselves “water protectors” guarded the land and drew national attention and support. Thousands flocked to the campsite, offering their support, financial assistance, and voice.
Several notable celebrities also joined the cause, drawing more attention to the ongoing protest and politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders also called on the government to stop the pipeline.
The water protectors spoke out against the polluting capabilities of pipelines like the DAPL and urged the federal government to respect tribal lands as well as clean water sources for all.
The science and data are clear that oil pipelines are highly flawed and highly polluting transportation sources for oil and gas. Most pipes leak, and in many cases, they can leak for days without detection. Still, the companies continue to construct an excessive number of pipes in the hopes that the infrastructure investment will be enough to keep the U.S. dependent upon oil for as long as possible.
Even now, water protectors remain guarding their camps, ready to push back in the courthouses and on the ground at Standing Rock.
