Photo by Dallas Goldtooth
#NoDAPL: Dakota Access Pipeline Temporarily Halted
Photo by Dallas Goldtooth
The controversial and environmentally destructive Dakota Access Pipeline has, for now, been halted. The Army Corps of Engineers relayed their decision in a statement made to their website:
"Today, the Army informed the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Energy Transfer Partners, and Dakota Access, LLC, that it has completed the review that it launched on September 9, 2016. The Army has determined that additional discussion and analysis are warranted in light of the history of the Great Sioux Nation’s dispossessions of lands, the importance of Lake Oahe to the Tribe, our government-to-government relationship, and the statute governing easements through government property."
Energy Transfer Partners, the company that is building the $3.7 billion pipeline, has (surprise) denounced the decision and the administration of President Obama's handling of the issue. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren said that he was (surprise) "enthusiastic" about the election of Donald Trump. Activists fear what a Trump presidency might mean for the Dakota Access Pipeline as the orange xenophobic blob of sexism has ties to the business. Trump has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the company while Warren has donated over $100,000 to Trump's campaign. Yay corruption.
On Tuesday, November 15th multiple cities across the country protested in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their fight against the hazardous, disruptive, and insulting Dakota Access Pipeline. An announcement, made to the group's website, read, "Indigenous leaders are calling on us to take to the streets and disrupt "business-as-usual" one week after the election to demand that President Obama’s Army Corps of Engineers and the incoming administration stop the Dakota Access Pipeline." Thousands took the streets on Tuesday in places such as New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and others. Multiple people were arrested during the actions. Protests against the construction of the pipeline have been raging for the past several months.
Watch a short video documenting the struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the environmental catastrophe disguised as the Dakota Access Pipeline below and keep your ears open for more news regarding the matter. To learn more about what's going on with the Dakota Access Pipeline check out this article.
H/T: Mother Jones