Across the nation, Native Americans and environmental groups have joined together to stop the construction of a natural gas pipeline that would cut through tribal lands in North Dakota.
In mid-August, members of the Sioux nation gathered near the Standing Rock reservation to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline Project, which would carry natural gas across the Great Plains from North Dakota to Illinois. After a few days, the protest grew to 1,200 people occupying two different campsites: the Sacred Stone Camp and the Red Warrior Camp.
Tribal leaders and environmentalists state that the pipeline poses a danger to the tribe, as it would cross the Missouri River, which is the primary source of water for the community of roughly 8,500. Controversy over pipeline construction is a familiar issue in the United States. For years, environmentalists have protested pipelines, claiming that they promote the burning of fossil fuels and are prone to leaks which pollute farmland and water supplies.
In 2015, President Obama rejected the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, a hotly disputed project that would have transported crude natural gas from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, pipeline spills released over 700 million gallons of natural gas from 2010 to 2015.
Since the Dakota Access Pipeline broke ground on August 10, many environmental groups have joined forces with the Sioux nation to halt construction. Earthjustice, an environmental law group, has filed a suit against the developers of the pipeline on behalf of the protesters at Standing Rock.
The law group claims that the pipeline violates several pieces of federal legislation, such as the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. “An oil spill would represent a huge catastrophe for the people who live there… it isn’t just cultural and religious, it’s their economic lifeblood,” said Earthjustice attorney, Jan Hasselman, of the reservation.
After the Earthjustice lawsuit was filed, protestors brought the debate to the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C.
Federal Agencies, such as the EPA, the Department of the Interior, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, have also spoken out publicly against the construction of the pipeline. The developers of the $38 billon pipeline, Dakota Access LLC, advocate that the project will benefit the US economy, as it will transport 470,000 barrels of domestically produced oil per day.
“Constructing this pipeline in accordance with applicable laws, and the local, state and federal permits and approvals we have received,” said a spokesperson from Energy Transfer Partners – the company that will construct the pipeline.
Developers of the project state that the pipeline will employ new and improved technology in order to ensure the safety of oil transportation.
Celebrities and environmental activists have also voiced their thoughts on the project. Actress Shailene Woodley traveled to the Standing Rock reservation to stand in solidarity with the protestors. Woodley also joined the D.C. protest, where she met up with fellow actress and activist Susan Sarandon.
In addition, actor and acclaimed environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has taken to his social media to promote a petition to stop the construction of the pipeline. DiCaprio has been known to publicly advocate for the environment and for indigenous peoples. In February, DiCaprio used his Academy Award acceptance speech to speak for native tribes and against climate change.
On the Standing Rock reservation, teepees, tents, and makeshift residences continue to stand while the debate over the Dakota Access Pipeline rages on.
Native American leader and environmentalist Mekasi Horinek Camp stated that the protest is a “historical time” for Sioux tribes, which “haven’t come together in this traditional way since the Battle of the Little Big Horn.”
A federal judicial ruling on the pipeline is expected to be delivered by September 9.
Sources
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25082016/judge-injunction-north-dakot…
http://www.people.com/article/shailene-woodley-dakota-access-pipeline-pr…
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18082016/native-americans-sioux-tribe…
http://www.daplpipelinefacts.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/us/obama-expected-to-reject-constructi…
http://www.foreffectivegov.org/blog/map-displays-five-years-oil-pipeline…