Current:Home > MyFeds leave future of Dakota Access pipeline’s controversial river crossing unclear in draft review -Zenith Profit Hub
Feds leave future of Dakota Access pipeline’s controversial river crossing unclear in draft review
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-08 17:06:06
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal officials on Friday released a draft environmental review of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, but said they’re waiting for more input before deciding the future of the line’s controversial river crossing in North Dakota.
The draft was released over three years after a federal judge ordered the environmental review and revoked the permit for the Missouri River crossing, upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The tribe is concerned a pipeline oil spill could contaminate its water supply.
The environmental review is key for whether the federal government reissues the permit. The pipeline has been operating since 2017, including during the environmental review.
The draft environmental impact statement, which is dated in June but was made public Friday, noted that the Corps “has not selected a preferred alternative,” but will make a decision in its final review, after considering input from the public and other agencies.
The draft details five options for the pipeline, including denying the easement for the crossing and removing or abandoning a 7,500-foot (2,286-meter) segment. Officials could also approve the easement with measures for “increased operational safety,” or grant the same easement with no changes.
A fifth option is a 111-mile (179-kilometer) reroute of the pipeline to north of Bismarck, over 38 miles upstream from the current crossing. The reroute would require new permits from federal, state and local authorities and regulators, which could take at least two years. The exact path of such a reroute is unknown, according to the draft.
“We are seeking public input on the environmental analysis of each alternative, and that input combined with the environmental analysis will help us to make an informed decision among the alternatives,” Corps Omaha District spokesman Steve Wolf told The Associated Press.
A comment period will end Nov. 13. Public meetings are scheduled Nov. 1-2 in Bismarck.
A final environmental impact statement will follow the public input and environmental analysis, and a formal decision will be made, Wolf said.
North Dakota’s governor-led, three-member Industrial Commission on Thursday heard of the draft’s pending release. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum on Thursday called the selection of no preferred alternative “unusual if not unprecedented.”
The pipeline, which officials say is safe, moves oil from western North Dakota to Illinois. Leaders in North Dakota’s oil industry and state government consider the pipeline to be crucial infrastructure, with far less oil now transported by rail.
The pipeline is moving about 600,000 to 650,000 barrels of oil per day. Its capacity is 750,000 barrels per day. North Dakota produces about 1.1 million barrels of oil per day.
The U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to take up an appeal of the tribe’s lawsuit over the pipeline. The tribe first filed the lawsuit in 2016. Thousands of people gathered and camped near the pipeline’s river crossing for protests that lasted months and sparked hundreds of arrests in 2016 and 2017. More than 830 criminal cases resulted from the protests.
Standing Rock last year withdrew as a cooperating agency in the environmental review.
The pipeline “is an ongoing trespass against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,” Tribal Chair Janet Alkire previously said. “Every day that the pipeline operates and transfers oil, trespass damages continually accrue.”
veryGood! (5924)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- 15 Affordable Amazon Products You Need If The Microwave Is Basically Your Sous-Chef
- Here's Why Love Is Blind's Paul and Micah Broke Up Again After Filming
- 5 numbers that show Hurricane Fiona's devastating impact on Puerto Rico
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Interest In Electric Vehicles Is Growing, And So Is The Demand For Lithium
- The Myth of Plastic Recycling
- Greenhouse gases reach a new record as nations fall behind on climate pledges
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Ariana Madix Makes Out With Daniel Wai at Coachella After Tom Sandoval Breakup
Ranking
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Heavy rain is still hitting California. A few reservoirs figured out how to capture more for drought
- California's system to defend against mudslides is being put to the ultimate test
- Tropical Storm Nicole churns toward the Bahamas and Florida
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Federal money is now headed to states for building up fast EV chargers on highways
- Aaron Carter's Former Fiancée Melanie Martin Questions His Cause of Death After Autopsy Released
- Low-income countries want more money for climate damage. They're unlikely to get it.
Recommendation
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Calls Out Resort for Not Being Better Refuge Amid Scandal
Life Is Hard For Migrants On Both Sides Of The Border Between Africa And Europe
Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, cost the U.S. $165 billion in 2022
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
Are climate change emissions finally going down? Definitely not
Why Rachel McAdams Wanted to Show Her Armpit Hair and Body in All Its Glory
How glaciers melted 20,000 years ago may offer clues about climate change's effects