(New York) A US court on Monday ordered the temporary closure of the Dakota Access Pipeline, an oil pipeline whose route has been disputed for years by Native American tribes and environmental groups.
Posted on July 6 2020 at 13 h 06
France Media Agency
The pipeline of nearly 1900 kilometers, which connects the basin of the Bakken formation in North Dakota to a distribution center in the Illinois, must be closed by August 5.
In a decision of 24 pages, Washington judge James E. Boasberg considered that the pipeline fell far short of environmental standards, in particular regarding the risks of an oil leak.
M. Boasberg therefore suspended an operating license, granted by the United States Army Public Works Corps to Energy Transfers, to build a portion of the pipeline under the Oahe Dam Lake in South Dakota and North Dakota.
“Fearing serious environmental consequences, the Native American tribes on the nearby reserves have been seeking for several years to cancel the federal permits authorizing the Dakota Access Pipeline to transport oil under the lake,” wrote the judge.
“Today, they have finally reached their goal, at least for the moment,” he continues.
This judgment is a major setback for US President Donald Trump, who revived Dakota Access in January 2017, shortly after taking office, at the same time to another controversial pipeline project, the Keystone XL.
These two sites were frozen by the Obama administration.
The decision of Mr. Trump had been challenged by the Sioux tribes of Standing Rock and Cheyenne River, who had seized the justice, alerting in particular on the threats of contamination of drinking water and the degradation of their sacred sites .
In a press release sent to AFP, Energy Transfers announced its intention to file a stay motion and, if it was not granted, to appeal Monday's judgment.
“We believe that Justice Boasberg's decision this morning is not in accordance with the law or with the materials on the record,” said Lisa Coleman, corporate communications officer.
“In addition, we consider that Judge Boasberg has exceeded his authority by ordering the closure of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has been operating without incident for more than three years,” adds M me Coleman.