Federal environmental review favors continued DAPL operations
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Dakota Access Pipeline should continue operating, although with ongoing environmental safeguards and monitoring requirements.
The Corps on Friday released a long-awaited Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the environmental effects of the 1,100-mile oil pipeline. The review follows years of legal challenges and protests tied to the pipeline’s route near tribal lands and water resources in North Dakota.
The EIS marks a significant development for Energy Transfer, the Dallas-based operator of the pipeline. The company has fought a lengthy court battle with Native American tribes seeking to shut down the line, arguing it poses risks to water supplies and treaty lands.
According to Reuters, the Corps’ findings move the case closer to resolution but do not immediately end the dispute.
Environmental safeguards cited by the Army Corps
In the Environmental Impact Statement, the Corps concluded that the pipeline can continue operating due to safeguards already in place. Those measures include:
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Groundwater monitoring programs
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Sediment and fish tissue sampling
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Expanded leak detection technology
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Ongoing environmental analysis and reporting
The Corps stated these protections reduce environmental risk associated with pipeline operations beneath federally controlled waters.
The Dakota Access Pipeline can transport up to 750,000 barrels of crude oil per day from the Bakken shale in North Dakota to Illinois, making it one of the largest crude oil pipelines in the United States.
Long-running dispute over Lake Oahe crossing
The legal fight centers on the pipeline’s crossing beneath Lake Oahe, located roughly half a mile north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
Tribal leaders have argued the pipeline threatens drinking water and violates treaty rights. The conflict sparked massive protests in 2016 and 2017 that drew national and international attention and became a flashpoint in debates over energy infrastructure, tribal sovereignty, and environmental protection.
A federal court ordered the Corps in 2022 to conduct a more comprehensive environmental review, leading to the newly released EIS. That ruling required the government to reassess environmental risks tied to the pipeline’s federal permits.
What happens next remains uncertain
While the Corps’ recommendation supports continued pipeline operations, it remains unclear whether the findings will be fully implemented or challenged in court.
The Environmental Impact Statement does not automatically end litigation or prevent future legal action by tribes or environmental groups. However, it strengthens Energy Transfer’s position by formally concluding that the pipeline’s environmental impacts can be managed under current conditions.
For now, the Dakota Access Pipeline remains operational as the legal and regulatory process continues.