A new editorial by the Washington Times called for the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline and criticized the Obama administration for giving into the demands of environmental fanatics.
“Anyone surprised by Barack Obama’s last-minute decision to pass on the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline hasn’t been paying attention. Going to war, even with foes of fossil fuels, has rarely appealed to the man who prefers to lead from behind. Rather than provoke the wrath of environmentalists so late in the game, Mr. Obama is determined to punt and run out the clock. It will fall to Donald Trump to take on those who forced the president to take a knee. Once he takes office, the new president must not duck.”
The editorial further noted the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s lack of participation during the regulatory review of the project and encouraged President-elect Trump to not waver on his promise to authorize the pipeline’s completion.
“The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe have refused to cooperate with pipeline builders, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and pipeline partners have conferred with 55 Indian tribes on nearly 400 occasions over two years, altering the pipeline route more than a hundred times to accommodate tribal and environmental consideration. Once sworn in, the man who celebrates “the art of the deal” should offer the Indians one they can’t refuse, and move on to complete the pipeline.”