Brigham McCown, an industry consultant and former head of pipeline regulator U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said the federal action came “out of left field” and was unprecedented.
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CANNON BALL, N.D., Sept 12 Native Americans protesting construction of a North Dakota oil pipeline near land they consider sacred on Saturday quietly celebrated the USA government’s decision to pause construction on federally owned land, and vowed to press for a full halt to the project.
Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind Dakota Access, is also proposing to build the Trans Pecos Pipeline to ship Texas natural gas to Mexico, a matrix of cryogenic and fractionation plants in western Pennsylvania, and the Mariner East Pipeline system to bring natural gas liquids to from the Marcellus Shale to coastal chemical plants and export. The statement went on to say “The Army will not authorize constructing the Dakota Access pipeline on Corps land bordering or under Lake Oahe until it can determine whether it will need to reconsider any of its previous decisions regarding the Lake Oahe site under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or other federal laws”. The North Dakota Tribe sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claiming the Bakken Oil Pipeline could ruin drinking water taken from the Missouri River.
“The Army will move expeditiously to make this determination, as everyone involved – including the pipeline company and its workers – deserves a clear and timely resolution”, the government said in a press statement at the time.
Dakota Access made the freaky decision last Saturday to leap ahead of their obvious construction route and sneak in on a holiday weekend to destroy a sacred site and burial ground that were due to be assessed by the North Dakota Preservation Office.
Spokespeople applied to the courts for an injunction, saying the pipeline could also affect the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s access to clean water.
“In recent days, we have seen thousands of demonstrators come together peacefully, with support from scores of sovereign tribal governments, to exercise their First Amendment rights and to voice heartfelt concerns about the environment and historic, sacred sites”, the statement said.
The federal permitting process was reviewed and examined “with particular care”, the judge noted.
Tribal chairman Dave Archambault II said, “Our hearts are full”.
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“Everywhere in Indian Country, people are talking about this”, said Eid, who spoke by phone Saturday while on horseback during a parade at the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock, Arizona. “There are areas on the construction route that do not fall within federal jurisdiction, so we will continue to fight”.
