Feds request ‘pause’ on span of Pipeline
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities say they want to review their permitting for the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota and have asked that the company "voluntarily pause" construction on a 40-mile span of land that Standing Rock Sioux officials say holds sacred sites and artifacts.
A federal judge denied the tribe's request Friday to temporarily stop construction on the four-state $3.8 billion oil pipeline.
Shortly after, the Departments of Justice, Army and Interior released a statement says it would "reconsider any of its previous decisions" on land that borders or is under Lake Oahe and requested that Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners "voluntarily pause" work within 20 miles east or west of the lake.
The statement also said that the case "highlighted the need for a serious discussion on whether there should be nationwide reform with respect to considering tribes' views on these types of infrastructure projects."
The tribe has said that the pipeline threatens its water supply and that construction already has disturbed sacred sites.
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