Elections have consequences. Per a Jan. 24 executive memo, the Army Corps of Engineers indicated that it will grant Dakota Access LLC the final permit to tunnel under the Missouri River and complete the controversial pipeline.
The most recent news about the Dakota Access Pipeline follows President Trump's Jan. 24 memorandum "to review and approve in an expedited manner the pipeline," effectively nullifying the Dec. 4, 2016 action by the Army Corps to deny Energy Transfer Partners, parent company of Dakota Access LLC, and "advising them to explore alternative routing and conduct an environmental review, granting indigenous peoples a rare victory."
"The Army’s intention to grant a 30-year easement under North Dakota’s Lake Oahe [a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River] was immediately hailed by congressional Republicans and decried by members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other opponents," report Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis for The Washington Post.
In addition to granting the permit, the Army Corps of Engineers filed documents "with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia... that they were terminating a plan to prepare an environmental-impact statement on how the pipeline would affect land and water along its 1,170-mile route," add Eilperin and Dennis.
Construction cannot begin until the easement is granted, which Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Paul D. Cramer wrote will be given to the project’s sponsor Energy Transfer Partners no later than Wednesday [Feb. 8] afternoon. The company declined to comment Tuesday.
The section of the project running underneath Lake Oahe is one of the final parts to be built, and it could be operational between 60 and 80 days after construction starts.
The Standing Rock Tribe and their allies declared they would "defy the federal government," add Eilperin and Dennis.
"The environmental impact statement was wrongfully terminated," said Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II in a statement Tuesday. "This pipeline was unfairly rerouted across our treaty lands. The Trump administration — yet again — is poised to set a precedent that defies the law and the will of Americans and our allies around the world.”
Sally Jewell, the former Secretary of the Interior, expressed extreme disappointment with the Army's actions, charging that they were "'reneging' on its commitment to other federal agencies and tribal leaders to conduct a thorough environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline before granting an easement to the project’s sponsor," reports Eilperin on Feb. 8.
Hat tip to Gary Lasky.
FULL STORY: Trump administration to approve final permit for Dakota Access pipeline
Victory for Native Americans and Supporters at Standing Rock—for Now
The Army Corps of Engineers denied Energy Transfer Partners an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe, advising them to explore alternative routing and conduct an environmental review, granting indigenous peoples a rare victory.
Standing Sioux Tribe Wins Court Case on Dakota Access Pipeline
A federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers failed to fully comply with NEPA in allowing the controversial pipeline to cross under the Missouri River. The judge did not order Energy Transfers Partners to cease operations of the pipeline.
Judge Halts Sales of New Coal Mining Leases on Federal Lands
Once again, the president's efforts to undo his predecessor's environmental legacy were thwarted by a court ruling. In this case, the Interior Department's failure to conduct an environmental review of a Trump executive order ran afoul of NEPA.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.
Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.
USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie