Immediately after a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that would have allowed construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline to proceed, the Department of Justice interceded and released a joint statement with the Department of the Army and the Department of the Interior calling for construction to voluntarily halt on the Lake Oahe segment of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
MAIN Coalition spokesman Craig Stevens released the following statement in response:
“The joint statement issued by the Department of Justice, the Department of the Army, and the Department of the Interior immediately after Judge Boasberg’s ruling is deeply troubling and could have a long-lasting chilling effect on private infrastructure development in the United States. Judge Boasberg had already issued a thoughtful, thorough decision agreeing that the Army Corps had done its job and had adequately consulted with and considered Tribal concerns; which in turn led to more than $1.4 billion in investments by Energy Transfer Partners – the pipeline construction company.
It is also concerning that the federal government would threaten the livelihoods of thousands of workers who rely on good governance to support a stable workplace. Based on the Administration’s actions today, these workers’ jobs are in peril.
Should the Administration ultimately stop this construction, it would set a horrific precedent. No sane American company would dare expend years of effort and billions of dollars weaving through an onerous regulatory process receiving all necessary permits and agreements, only to be faced with additional regulatory impediments and be shutdown halfway through completion of its project.
We hope and trust that the government will base its final decision on sound science and engineering, not political winds or pressure.”