Thousands of people from more than 200 Native American tribes have supported the Standing Rock Sioux’s efforts to protect their lands, waters and sacred sites during construction of the pipeline, according to the tribe.
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The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe argues in its lawsuit that the Corps of Engineers failed to adequately consult it before granting permits that allowed construction of the pipeline that began earlier this summer about a half mile north of the tribe’s reservation in North Dakota. Moreover, the tribe explains, the pipeline also might endanger their lands and water supply.
After the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the tribe’s motion to stop the project, the Departments of Justice, the Interior and the Army stepped in.
The Army now decides whether to reconsider the path of the pipeline’s construction.
The statement also said the case “highlighted the need for a serious discussion” about nationwide reforms “with respect to considering tribes’ views on these types of infrastructure projects”.
Attorney Jan Hasselman with environmental group Earthjustice, who filed the lawsuit in July on behalf of the tribe, said in the days before the ruling that itll be challenged. “We will have to pursue our options with an appeal and hope that construction isn’t completed while that (appeal) process is going forward”, he said. “We will continue to stand united and peaceful in our opposition to the pipeline”.
In his ruling Boasberg said he could not concur with claims by the Standing Rock Sioux that the government erred in approving the Dakota Access pipeline. “Having done so, the Court must nonetheless conclude that the Tribe has not demonstrated that an injunction is warranted here”.
The underground pipeline will transport 470,000 barrels of oil from the Bakken oil formation in North Dakota, which the U.S. Geological Survey estimates holds 7.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil.
At the same time, however, government officials were promising to temporarily halt construction of the pipeline on federally owned land.
“There’s never been a coming together of tribes like this”, she said. People came from as far as NY and Alaska, some bringing their families and children, and hundreds of tribal flags dotted the camp, along with American flags flown upside-down in protest.
Group members were marching in solidarity with Native Americans fighting to stop the pipeline that would run from North Dakota to IL.
State authorities announced this week that law enforcement officers from across the state were being mobilized at the protest site. The Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association asked the Justice Department to send monitors to the site because it said racial profiling is occurring.
“Our hearts are full, this an historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and for tribes across the nation”, said tribal chairman Dave Archambault II.
Dakota Access, subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners LP that is building the pipeline, declined to comment.
Some two dozen troops will help with security at traffic checkpoints – the closest of which is about 30 miles (48 km) from the protest site, said Guard spokeswoman Amber Balken.
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Energy Transfer said the pipeline would bring an estimated $156 million in sales and income taxes to state and local governments.
