Dakota Access Pipeline is Officially Operational.
This comes just a week after documents were leaked by a TigerSwan contractor revealing that Energy Transfer Partners was involved in using counterterrorist tactics on non-violent Water Protectors.
What’s more is that DAPL has already had three oil spills during test runs, this adds to ETP’s already bad track record of being responsible for oil spills, yet taking very little accountability clean spills up or prevent future spills.
While the pipeline is fully operational a federal Judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals still holds the power to halt the project.
The pipeline was originally set to go through Bismarck, ND but the community rejected that plan because they were afraid it would jeopardize the Bismarck water supply.
Many other Native and non-Native allies will continue to stand with Standing Rock and continue to organize to ensure Energy Transfer Partners is held accountable for the human rights crimes they have committed, not just against Standing Rock but the many other Native nations along its path.” Statement from Standing Rock Sioux Chairman, Dave Archambault II: "Now that the Dakota Access Pipeline is fully operational, we find it more urgent than ever that the courts and administration address the risks posed to the drinking water of millions of American citizens.
“We will continue to battle the operation of this pipeline in court and remind everyone that just because the oil is flowing now doesn’t mean that it can’t be stopped.
The courts can stop it by demanding that the administration be held accountable for the full Environmental Impact Statement it initiated and then abandoned."
Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ).
IEN’s activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.