The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe lost its attempt this week to convince a federal appeals court to block construction on part of the Dakota Access pipeline that runs through North Dakota.
The D.C. Circuit court of Appeals had listened to tribal arguments last month but the judges said they would not permanently stop construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline that will carry oil from North Dakota through South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois.
The ruling means construction of the 1,172-mile pipeline can continue near the tribe’s reservation.
“I was, of course, disappointed,” said Dave Archambault II, chairman of the tribe, who vowed his people will not back down. “We are going to continue to fight. We will look at all of our legal options moving forward.”
The judges stated in their ruling that while they gave the green light to the construction, “ours is not the final word.”
ABC News reported the judges even went on to say “we can only hope the spirit of Section 106 may yet prevail,” referring to a section of the National Historic Preservation Act that requires federal agencies to take into account effects on historic properties and gives the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment.
