GAIN Applauds Dismissal of DAPL Legal Challenge
After a five year legal battle, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg yesterday dismissed the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s lawsuit challenging operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The decision comes after a flurry of hearings in recent months in which Boasberg, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Biden administration affirmed DAPL’s ability to continue operating while the Corps conducts additional review on a small portion of project. The review is expected to be completed by March 2022.
DAPL has safely operated for more than four years, transporting up to 570,000 bpd of crude oil from North Dakota to an energy hub in Patoka, Illinois.
Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:
“GAIN welcomes the dismissal of the lawsuit challenging operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Following fact and science, federal regulators and the courts have removed politics from the process, recognized the line’s safety record, and affirmed its ability to continue operating.
“DAPL is one of the most studied, regulated, and litigated pipelines in our history, and continues to play a critical role in our nation’s economy and energy security. Yesterday’s decision is a key win for common-sense policy, regulatory certainty, and American energy development.”