It is the second time the Obama Administration has asked Energy Transfer Partners to stand down on the Dakota Access Pipeline, so far to no avail.
BISMARCK, N.D. — The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ), Department of Interior and Department of the Army asked the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline Tuesday to voluntarily cease construction in the 20-mile corridor leading to the pipeline’s proposed crossing at the Missouri River.
It is the second time the Obama Administration has asked the company, Energy Transfer Partners, to stand down, so far to no avail. Tensions over the pipeline have escalated, with the company pressing ahead and opponents setting up a camp in the path of construction. The county sheriff is calling for more law enforcement from surrounding states.
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has asked DOJ to halt construction for public safety and to investigate aggressive tactics against opponents by police, including strip searches, use of dogs, pepper-spraying of youth and intimidation, all captured on video or documented by witness accounts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing its work permitting the pipeline so far, following concerns by the tribe and federal agencies that it did not adequately assess the risks it poses.