Holding signs and banners and chanting “Oil Kills”, protesters in Atlanta and other United States cities yesterday shouted support for Native American activists trying to stop construction of a North Dakota pipeline they say will desecrate sacred land and pollute water.
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“We are deeply disturbed by the unprecedented action taken by President Obama to supersede the decision of a federal court judge and halt the lawful construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline project”.
According to Gmeiner, the Dakota Access pipeline would carry fracked oil from North Dakota to IL, cutting under the Missouri River less than a mile upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux’s drinking water supply, as well as through the Tribe’s sacred and historical land.
“The bottom line for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is and will always be protecting our lands, people, water, and sacred sites from the devastation of this pipeline”.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said Tuesday she and other leaders are trying to get more information from the Corps about what the process will be and a timeline to make a final resolution.
About 70 miles (113 km) northwest of the main protest site in southern North Dakota, protesters “swarmed” construction workers and two people chained themselves to equipment, according to Morton County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Donnell Preskey.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners obtained federal permits for the $3.8 billion pipeline in July, two years after it was first announced.
This has not shaken Energy Transfer, the company behind the pipeline, whose chief executive Kelcy Warren told The Guardian, “We intend to meet with officials in Washington to understand their position and reiterate our commitment to bring the Dakota Access Pipeline into operation“. The tribe’s lands are south of a proposed oil line route, but the potential for a leak into nearby rivers that are sources of water for the tribe moved them to resist the plans.
A company spokesperson said that Energy Transfer Partners had no further comment at this time. “That’s why it’s so wonderful to see so many people joining us and the warriors in North Dakota that are fighting to protect Mother Earth, fighting to protect our water and fighting to do the right thing with tribal consultation”.
Rising Tide wrote in an email that “the contractor laying pipe in North Dakota, Michels Corporation, is the very same contractor constructing Vermont’s fracked gas pipeline”.
Of the recent federal request to voluntarily halt construction, he added, “We are committed to completing construction and safely operating the Dakota Access Pipeline within the confines of the law”.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota is suing federal regulators for approving the oil pipeline, arguing it will harm water supplies and disturb sacred burial and cultural sites.
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After he spoke, he said he came to the event to fight for people’s rights and to help indigenous people around the world. Energy Transfer Partners says the pipeline will pump millions into local economies and create 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs.
