Corps wants Judge’s approval to end studies of Dakota Access pipeline

The Associated Press reports the Army Corps of Engineers has asked a federal judge to approve the Corps’ decision that the Dakota Access oil pipeline is not harmful to American Indian tribes.

The Corps is asking U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to approve the August 2018 finding that further environmental studies of the $3.8 billion pipeline are not needed. It was more than two years ago when the pipeline became operational in transporting crude from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa and to Illinois.

The pipeline was the site of massive protests led by Native American leaders. One of the tribes was the Standing Rock Sioux and it still contends there should be more environmental studies of the impact of the pipeline. The tribe claims an oil spill would cause massive contamination of the Missouri River.

But the Justice Department disagrees. The Bismarck Tribune quoted a DOJ attorney as stating the Corps “carefully and reasonably considered the environmental impacts” before it gave a stamp of approval for the line.

Energy Transfer, based in Dallas agrees with the government and stated that the line is safe.