Attorneys for Dakota Access said landowners have missed their legal opportunity to halt the project and should no longer be allowed to stand in its way.
Advertisement
Mounting opposition turned to the Obama administration with 31 protesting groups asking for the president’s intervention, and a lawsuit filed in a DC federal district court by Earthjustice is still pending a ruling on a preliminary injunction.
“This is a very serious issue and it’s one that can be challenged in a number of different ways”, said Houska, one of several attorneys at the camp Thursday.
He continued the temporary restraining order he issued on August 16 against pipeline protesters. and urged the two sides to try to resolve their differences.
Amnesty International is concerned about whether the traffic barricade on State Highway 1806 north of the demonstration site is necessary for safety or whether it’s created to deter protesters, Demant said.
Pipeline construction in North Dakota is almost complete, and is 63 percent complete in South Dakota and 62 percent complete in IL, the company said.
“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal violation”, said Kyle Kirchmeier, sheriff of Morton County.
“My top priority is to keep all entities moving forward in a peaceful and lawful manner”, he said. The pipeline would transport up to 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily and cross from northwest to southeast Iowa, spanning 347 miles and 18 counties.
The permits for the Dakota Access project were granted using the USACE “nationwide permit 12”, a fast track permitting process that has allowed the oil and gas industry to build numerous fossil fuel pipelines across the country, even on private property, without project-specific environmental review or public input process, the environmental groups contend.
Thursday afternoon the board sided with Dakota Access. The supplies were provided last week by the North Dakota Department of Health at the request of the tribe. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing the agency failed to properly consult with the tribe before issuing a permit for the Missouri River crossing. Organizers said they expect numbers to grow this weekend, and calls went out for more blankets, warmer tents and additional firewood.
“I’m here as a mother and a grandmother to thank the people of the Standing Rock community for bringing our attention to this terrible thing that is happening to their land, which in turn will endanger all of us. because all of our waters are connected”, said Sarandon, the Oscar-winning actress known for social and political activism. “Based on the scenario down there, we don’t believe that equipment is secure”, he said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which examined separately each water crossing, is accused of sidelining tribal interest.
Advertisement
Also Thursday, the Williston chapter of the American Petroleum Institute pushed its members to sign a letter of support for the pipeline.
