Army Corp of Engineers Denies Permit for Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline
@DeborahDiane (40851)
Laguna Woods, California
December 4, 2016 11:21pm CST
Today, after months of demonstrations, the federal government finally decided they would not issue a permit for a pipeline to be built under Lake Oahe, an important water reservoir which is on the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux. The reservation is connected to the Missouri River in North Dakota. The pipeline can still be built, but will have to be rerouted away from the drinking water supply for the reservation.
While the Native Americans and veterans who are camped out near the site of the pipeline (but on their reservation) celebrated this victory, I hope the Corps of Engineers decision stands and they are not disappointed in a few weeks after Trump takes office.
House Speaker Paul Ryan called the Army Corps of Engineer's decision "big government decision making at its worst."
The U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said "In light of today's decision, the Department of Justice will continue to monitor the situation in the days ahead and we stand ready to provide resources to help all those who can play a constructive role in easing tensions."
Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said, "The pipeline remains in limbo. The incoming administration already stated its support for the project and the courts have already stated twice that it appeared the Corps followed the required process in considering the permit. For the next month and a half, nothing about this project will change."
Representative Kevin Cramer of North Dakota called it "an unfortunate decision" and said the Army Corps of Engineers was rewarding "criminal behavior."
President-elect Trump is an investor in the pipeline company, so he may try to overrule the decision because of his investment. (I realize that he is not supposed to be able to do that, but Trump has repeatedly insisted that whatever he does is legal once he becomes president.)
Meanwhile, the protestors at the Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation celebrated. I just hope they are not celebrating too early.
This particular pipeline company has has dozens of oil spills across the U.S., so the Sioux have a reason to be concerned about them building a pipeline under their primary water supply for their reservation.
What do you think? Will their reservation and tribal rights be respected ... as the Secretary of the Interior says they should be? Or is the pipeline going to plow through their reservation as soon as Trump takes office?
8 people like this
8 responses
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
5 Dec 16
I would hope it stands. If there are oil spills it will be bad for the environment and cause trouble with the drinking water. Putting a pipeline under a water source doesn't sound like a good idea to begin with. I hope it gets rerouted and doesn't cause any environmental problems.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@just4him - I agree completely. Just because this is the most direct route, does not mean it is a smart decision.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@LadyDuck - You are so right. I do not think Mr. Trump respects the rights of anyone else.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128854)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Dec 16
I would normally say count this as a victory for the protesters, but with Trump taking office soon, who knows what is going to happen. He already feels he is above the rule of law, so who knows if he is going to try to bully his way into restarting the pipeline through the reservation. But one interesting thing is, now that the Corps has made a decision, if it is reversed by the Trump administration the protesters have legal grounds to sue, and that might keep the project tied up in the courts for years. If Trump was smart, he would try to reach some sort of settlement agreement in which the route of the pipeline is altered, so that the people get what they want and he gets what he wants (his pipeline built).
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128854)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Dec 16
@DeborahDiane I think the precedent has been set now that the Corps has made a decision on the permitting. If they try to reverse the decision now, they are going to have tons of lawsuits that are going to tie this thing up in the courts for years. At this point, I think the best course of action is to come up with a Plan B and figure out how to re-route the pipeline away from Standing Rock. In the long run, it will be cheaper to do that than to try and fight it out in the courts.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@moffittjc - I agree completely. In addition, the fact that Trump is a stockholder in the company building the pipeline is a huge conflict of interest. He should let the Army Corps of Engineer's decision stand and they should reroute the pipeline.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Dec 16
@moffittjc - I hope you are right that the Native Americans could tie this up in court so long that the investors are better off rerouting the pipeline. Meanwhile, many of them are going to tough it out and stay right where they are.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Jan 18
@DeborahDiane Did they build it right under the Americans' water supply, as originally planned?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Jan 18
@TheHorse - The Native Americans lost. The pipeline was built and has already leaked, at least once. The only good news is that some other pipelines have been delayed after all the problems with this one.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Jan 18
@TheHorse - Yes. The oil company moved forward with their original plans. As soon as the court approved the pipeline, the company moved forward with construction the next day. The Native American tribe at the center of this fight just gave up. The spill did not pollute their water, but many people think that it is only a matter of time before that happens. It infuriates me, but what can we do? The best thing is for us to free ourselves from dependence on oil as soon as possible, so these pipelines are no longer needed.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
5 Dec 16
I think that the new administration will gladly trample on these people once again I hope that the vets stay there or go back to help.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Dec 16
@DeborahDiane There are difficult times ahead with Trump and his minions.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@JamesHxstatic - I'm afraid you are right. There are going to be some difficult times ahead for millions of people. It makes me sad.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@JamesHxstatic - I agree that the new administration will trample on the rights of the Native Americans. In fact, some of Trumps advisors supposedly want to privatize all Native American land ... in other words, take it over so private U.S. corporations can do what they want. Isn't that disgusting??
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@jstory07 - I just hope the Trump Administration does not reverse this decision.
@DeborahDiane (40851)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Dec 16
@JudyEv - The spokesman for the Sioux was on the radio and television today saying they have no intention of retreating. They do not trust White Men. Sadly, I do not blame them.
1 person likes this
