Earlier today the U.S. Army of Engineers granted an easement allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under the Missouri River north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. It is confirmed that the construction of the final mile and a half of a 2,735-kilometer pipeline will proceed, and the environmental impact assessment and public comment period will be halted.
The Army Corps is skipping the 14-day notification period and intend to grant the easement needed to drill no earlier than 24 hours after delivery of their Notice of Intent.
This news comes with tremendous heartbreak for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Indigenous Environmental Network who led peaceful protests and demonstrations since summer 2016 to protect their land. The easement was granted by the U.S. Army of Engineers after President Donald Trump encouraged the group to expedite and review the approval process.
The tribe fears the pipeline will contaminate their drinking water and destroy sacred sites. Learn more about #NoDAPL and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe with the documentary by Viceland here. You can follow the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on Facebook here.