Tulsa’s John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park was the venue on Saturday afternoon for a conclave of more than 60 people attended the “Stand Against Diamond Pipeline” rally, according to The Tulsa World.
The event was sponsored by a local organization, Tulsa Stands With Standing Rock. The group, which is exclusively composed of 13 Native American members, was formed in September to support the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters in North Dakota. Other participating groups included the Green Country Sierra Club and the Oklahoma People’s Alliance.
“Once the damage is done, we can’t go back and save it,” said Misty Valenzuela, a member of the group. Valenzuela pressed the importance of remaining preemptive with ventures that threaten the Earth.
“We have to move to clean, renewable energy as soon as possible,” said Nancy Moran, a member of the Green Country Sierra Club.
A joint venture between San Antonio’s Valero Energy Corp. and Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline, the $900 million, 440-mile Diamond Pipeline is being constructed between the Cushing storage hub and Memphis, Tennessee. According to The Tulsa World report, the pipeline will cross seven counties in eastern Oklahoma — Lincoln, Creek, Okmulgee, Muskogee, McIntosh, Haskell and LeFlore.
The pipeline is expected to be in service by the end of 2017. It is expected to transport nearly 200,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
“Our goal is to design, construct, operate and maintain the Diamond Pipeline in a safe, reliable, and responsible manner while working toward productive relationships with landowners, governments, tribal nations, and neighboring communities,” said Karen Rugaard, a Diamond Pipeline company spokeswoman. “We respect the rights of all individuals to voice their opinion and participate in peaceful protests.”