GAIN Welcomes Court’s Decision Allowing DAPL Operations to Continue

The U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. today ruled that the Dakota Access Pipeline can remain in operation while the Army Corps of Engineers completes its Environmental Impact Study (EIS), which is expected to be completed by March 2022. 

In his well-articulated and strongly sourced 31-page ruling, Judge Boasberg laid out the rationale for allowing the pipeline to continue providing needed petroleum to markets, asserting that there is a very low likelihood that operation of the pipeline would bring about irreparable harm to tribes. Interestingly, this echoes Energy Secretary Granholm’s  recent sentiment that when it comes to the delivery of natural gas, petroleum, and petroleum products, “[pipeline] is the best way to go.”

DAPL has safely transported up to 570,000 bpd of crude oil from North Dakota to a hub in Patoka, Illinois, since coming into service in June 2017.

Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:

“We applaud the Court’s straightforward, fact-based decision to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to continue operating. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport petroleum and petroleum products, and the Dakota Access Pipeline is arguably one of the safest and most technologically-advanced pipelines ever constructed.

“We continue to believe that if the government and the courts make their decisions based on the facts – not politics – DAPL will be allowed to remain operational. Today, Judge Boasberg, in his decision, said as much. We hope that the administrative process is allowed to move forward allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its work – free of political pressure.

“We look forward to the completion of the Army Corps’ additional review and are confident the Corps – if allowed to follow facts and science – will validate previous findings that Dakota Access presents no significant impact or risk.”