The Army Corps of Engineers is inviting public comments on the Dakota Access pipeline’s environmental impact, years after its contentious approval.
— Anita Hofschneider reports forGrist.
In short:
- The Dakota Access pipeline has been operational since 2017, transporting up to 750,000 barrels of oil daily.
- A federal court mandated a comprehensive environmental impact statement due to potential significant environmental effects.
- The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe remains concerned about water contamination risks.
Key quote:
“Am I going to be the tribal chair that has to deal with a disaster? A pipeline that breaks?”
— Janet Alkire, Chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Why this matters:
The controversial DAPL pipeline, which threatens the Standing Rock tribe’s drinking water, cultural practices and sovereignty, became a consequential chapter in the climate justice and Indigenous rights movements. This public comment period offers an opportunity to weigh in on a longstanding environmental justice concern regarding the fossil fuel industry’s impacts on Indigenous communities.
For more: Max Aung wrote for EHN’s Agents of Change program about the need to make health a priority in meeting our energy needs.
What do you think will be the long-term legacy of the Dakota Access pipeline resistance movement?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
