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The Dakota Access Pipeline Citizen's Open Forum September 16, 2016 Ann Hunter The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, joined by many many other indigenous nations, environmentalists, politicians, celebrities, and other people, opposes the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a multi billion dollar project of Energy Transfer Partners LP. that will add another pipeline to those that already bring crude oil from the Bakken shale formation to storage facilities near St. Louis and ultimately to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically Standing Rock, which is located along the Missouri River south of Bismarck North Dakota, straddling the border between North and South Dakota opposes the portion that runs within 1/2 mile of its reservation and under Lake Oahe, an artificial lake created at the junction of the Cannonball River and the Missouri. The pipeline crosses the Missouri at this point. The area is a sacred site for the Sioux, as well as a source of their water supply. Energy Transfer Partners, the developer, claims that they have gotten all the permits they need, that the $3.8 billion pipeline is 60% complete and they need to finish it. The pipeline is planned to run for over 1,000 miles, through the Dakotas, Iowa, and Illinois, mostly under private land, but also under bodies of water including the Missouri and the Mississippi as well as many smaller rivers and creeks, triggering the need for federal permits. However, while natural gas pipelines require stringent permitting procedures, crude oil pipelines do not. A full EIS has never been completed for this project as a whole. Indigenous peoples from throughout the US and Canada and even from as far away as South America are supporting the Standing Rock Sioux, joined by environmentalists who oppose the pipeline as an environmental threat. They have set up an encampment at the construction site called the Sacred Stone Camp. It has

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Page 1: The Dakota Access Pipeline - WordPress.com · construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a multi billion dollar project of Energy Transfer Partners LP. that will add another pipeline

TheDakotaAccessPipeline

Citizen'sOpenForumSeptember16,2016

AnnHunter

TheStandingRockSiouxTribe,joinedbymanymanyotherindigenousnations,

environmentalists,politicians,celebrities,andotherpeople,opposesthe

constructionoftheDakotaAccessPipeline,amultibilliondollarprojectofEnergy

TransferPartnersLP.thatwilladdanotherpipelinetothosethatalreadybring

crudeoilfromtheBakkenshaleformationtostoragefacilitiesnearSt.Louisand

ultimatelytorefineriesintheGulfofMexico.

SpecificallyStandingRock,whichislocatedalongtheMissouriRiversouthof

BismarckNorthDakota,straddlingtheborderbetweenNorthandSouthDakota

opposestheportionthatrunswithin1/2mileofitsreservationandunderLake

Oahe,anartificiallakecreatedatthejunctionoftheCannonballRiverandthe

Missouri.ThepipelinecrossestheMissouriatthispoint.Theareaisasacredsitefor

theSioux,aswellasasourceoftheirwatersupply.EnergyTransferPartners,the

developer,claimsthattheyhavegottenallthepermitstheyneed,thatthe$3.8

billionpipelineis60%completeandtheyneedtofinishit.

Thepipelineisplannedtorunforover1,000miles,throughtheDakotas,Iowa,and

Illinois,mostlyunderprivateland,butalsounderbodiesofwaterincludingthe

MissouriandtheMississippiaswellasmanysmallerriversandcreeks,triggering

theneedforfederalpermits.However,whilenaturalgaspipelinesrequirestringent

permittingprocedures,crudeoilpipelinesdonot.AfullEIShasneverbeen

completedforthisprojectasawhole.

IndigenouspeoplesfromthroughouttheUSandCanadaandevenfromasfaraway

asSouthAmericaaresupportingtheStandingRockSioux,joinedby

environmentalistswhoopposethepipelineasanenvironmentalthreat.Theyhave

setupanencampmentattheconstructionsitecalledtheSacredStoneCamp.Ithas

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grownto1,000people.GatheringsinsupportoftheSiouxhavebeenheld

throughouttheUSandCanada.SupportersoftheStandingRockTribeinclude

350.org,Greenpeace,theSierraClub,VeteransforPeace,andmanymanyother

organizations.IndividualsupportersincludeBernieSanders,JillStein,JoanBaez,

LeonardDiCaprio,etc.etc.Oppositiontotheprojectcontinuestogrow.

Thecompanyproceededwithconstructioneventhoughthetribepointedouta

burialsitethatwouldbedestroyediftheywentanyfarther.Tribalmembersand

theirsupportersresistedpeacefully,callingthemselvesprotectors,notprotestors.

SecurityguardsprovidedbyG4S,usedmaceandsetdogsonthem,asdocumented

onvideoandbroadcastonDemocracyNow.(AmyGoodmannowhasawarrantout

forherarrestforcoveringtheprotest.)Thecompanyclaimsthatprotestors,who

callthemselvesprotectors,attackedtheguardsanddogs.(bearinmindthatinsome

casesdogsattackedchildrenwhoseparentswerepresent.)

Thetribefiledarequestforapreliminaryinjunction,allegingthatthefederal

permitsrequiredfortheprojectwereissuedillegally.AfederaljudgeinDCdenied

theinjunctiononFridaySept.9.Naturalgaspipelinesrequireextensivefederal

appraisal&permitting.Domesticoilpipelinesdonoandthejudgepointedoutthat

DAPL"needsalmostnofederalpermittingofanykindbecause99%ofitsroute

traversesprivateland."Theexceptionisthatitinvolvesconstructioninfederally

regulatedwatersathundredsofplacesalongitsroute.TheArmyCorpsofEngineers

hadtopermitthisactivityundertheCWAand/ortheRiversandHarborsAct.It

issuedageneralpermit,NationwidePermit12.

ButStandingRocksaystheCorpsviolatedtheNationalEnvironmentalProtection

ActandtheNationalHistoricProtectionAct,aswellasotherfederalstatutes.The

preliminaryinjunctionwassoughtonlybasedonNHPA,whichrequiresconsulting

withtribesbeforeissuingpermitsthatmightaffecthistoricresources.Thecourt

rulingclaimsthatthetribedidnotactinatimelymannertorequestconsultation

aboutculturalresourcesnearLakeOahe.

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However,assoonastherequestforaninjunctionwasdenied,threefederal

agencies,DOJ,Interior,andtheArmyCorps,steppedin.Theycalledforconstruction

tostoppendingaseriousdiscussionregardingnotonlythispipelinebutwhether

reformisneededintheprocessforconsideringtribalviewsonpipelinerelated

infrastructuredecisionmakingingeneral.Constructionwashaltedintheimmediate

vicinityofLakeOahe.

PresidentObamaaskedEnergyTransferPartnerstostopconstructionfora20mile

radiusaroundthesite,pendingfurtherproceedings.Thecompanyhasnot

respondedtohisrequest,buttheysaythattheirCEOwillmeetwithfederalofficials

andtheprojectwillgoforward.Theencampmentcontinuesandpeopletheresay

theyarepreparedtostaythroughthewinter.Itisunclearwhatthediscussionwith

federalofficialswilllooklike,althoughmostpeopleseeitasapositivestepanda

victoryfortribalsovereignty.Inthemeantime,thegovernorofNorthDakotahas

activatedtheNationalGuardandmadeanumberofarrests.TheU.ofColoradoLaw

SchoolAmericanIndianLawProgramiscoordinatingalegalresponseforthose

arrestedorinjuredintheprotest.

ThePresidentoftheAmericanPetroleumInstitution,JackGerard,saysthatObama's

requestshowsthattheUnitedStatesnolongerhonorstheruleoflaw.Heclaimsthat

haltingthispipelinewillhaveachillingeffectontheUSeconomy.TheAFL-CIOalso

supportsthepipelineonthetheorythatitwillcreatejobs.Thestatementontheir

webpagesaysthat"pipelineconstructionandmaintenanceprovidesqualityjobsto

tensofthousandsofskilledworkers."TheysaytheDakotaAccessPipelineis

providingover4,500high-quality,familysupportingjobs.Ontheotherhand,the

CommunicationsWorkersofAmerica,affiliatedwiththeAFL-CIO,supportsthe

StandingRockSiouxTribe.Itappearstobetruethattheconstructionprocessis

creatinglargenumbersofjobs,withlotsofovertime,butoncecompleted,one

estimatesaysthatitwillonlycreate40permanentjobs.

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PeoplearealsoactivelyprotestingtheIowaportionofthepipeline,wherethe

state'sutilityboardhasallowedEnergyTransfersLPtoacquirepropertythrough

eminentdomain,affectinghundredsoflandowners.Agroupofthoselandowners

aresuingtheutilityboardbasedona2006lawthatissupposedtoprotectproperty

frombeingseizedforprivatedevelopment.Protestershavebeenarrestedthereas

well.

WhydotheSiouxatStandingRockhaveculturalartifactsandhistoricand

sacredlocationsoutsidetheboundsoftheStandingRockreservation?

TheStandingRockReservationwasoriginallypartofthemuchlargerGreatSioux

ReservationestablishedbytheTreatyofFortLaramieofApril29,1868,which

encompassedallofpresentdaySouthDakotawestoftheMissouri,andwaslater

extendednorthtotheCannonballRiver,includingtheMissouriRiveritselfandthe

BlackHills.Italsoincludedasvasthuntingrightsoffthereservation.Further

cessionshadtobeapprovedby3/4oftheadultmenoftheSioux.Butin1874,gold

wasdiscoveredintheBlackHills,andin1877,CongressappropriatedtheBlack

HillswithouttheSioux'sconsent.

Congressfurtherreducedthereservationin1889,dividingitintosixsmaller

reservations,includingStandingRock,andaddingsomeNorthDakotalandto

StandingRock.About9millionacres,halfoftheoriginalGreatSiouxReservation

wasthen"openedup"andsoldbythegovernmenttoranchersandhomesteaders.

Therailroadsfacilitatedthisprocess,encouragingpeopletofarmonthearidland,

withpredictableresults.(Disclosure:Mygreat-grandfatherandgrandfatherworked

fortheChicagoMilwaukeeSt.PaulRRdoingthiskindofthing.)TheLakotatribes

receivedsmallpaymentsthatweremostlyoffsetagainstagencyexpenses.

ThelandsstillheldbytribeswerefurtherbrokenupandreducedbytheDawes

AllotmentAct,whichallocatedsmallholdingstoindividualtribalmembersandsold

offthesocalledsurplustonon-natives.Theactalsomadetheindividuallyheld

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landssubjecttosalebytheowners,inevitablyfurtherreducingthelandinIndian

ownership.Thegovernmentcontinuedtoclaimthattheindividualparcelswere

suitableforfarming,butthisdidnotworkanybetterfortheLakotathanforthe

homesteaders.Bythe1930s,DustBowlconditionsprevailedinmuchofthearea.

Manyhomesteadersabandonedtheirparcels,butthegovernmentdidnotgivethem

backtotheLakota,insteadretainingthemorsellingthem.

WhyConstructthisPipeline?

BakkenOilShaleunderliespartsofMontana,NorthDakota,Saskatchewan

andManitoba.Ithasnosurfaceoutcropping.Thereare7.4billionbarrelsof

recoverableoilthereaccordingtotheUSGeologicalService(2013).Frackingand

horizontaldrillingtechniqueshavecreatedaboominproductionsince2000,

makingtheBakkenformationoneofthemainnewsourcesofoilintheUS,more

than10%ofallproduction.FrackingisalsobeingusedintheportionsoftheBakken

fieldinCanada,thoughnotonthesamescale.

Productionisalreadyat458,000barrelsaday,outstrippingexistingpipeline

capacitytoshiptheoilout,andrailshippinghassafetyissues.(Sodopipelinesin

reality.)TheLac-Megaticraildisasteroccurredwhenanoiltrainoverturnedwhile

shippingoilfromN.DakotathroughQuebectoarefineryinNewBrunswick.Bakken

oilcatchesfiremoreeasilythanoilrecoverdbyothermethods,butithadbeen

mislabeledaslowerriskoil,contributingtothedisaster.Thereisonlyonerefinery

inthearea.ThusEnergyTransferclaimsthatDakotaAccessLLCclaimsthatthe

pipelinewillimprovepublicsafetyandhelptheUStobeenergyindependent.

Theoilshaleboomhasbroughtmoneytothosewithmineralrights,soNorth

Dakota'spercapitaGDPisnow29%abovethenationalaverage,butithasalsoled

toastrainonwatersuppliesandinfrastructure,includinghousingandgovernment

services.Crimeandsocialproblemshaveincreased.

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LocationofthePipeline

Route:theplanisthatthepipelinewillrunundergroundfor1,134milesto

bringoilfromtheBakkenoilfieldsinNWNorthDakotabeginninginStanley,ND

andendingalittleeastofSt.LouisinPatoka,Illinois,(population633in2000),just

southofRte70,endingatthePatokatankfarm.InPatokaitissupposedtoconnect

withapipelinetotheGulfCoastforstorage,orforrefinementandexport,orbe

shippedbyrailtoEastcoastmarkets.Itwillrunacrosslandsownedorhistorically

occupiedbyseveralFirstNationsintheDakotasandIowa,includingtheStanding

RockSioux,otherSiouxnations,andtheMeskwaki.

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LocationofStandingRock.Source:Oilprice.com

LakeOaheisthestretchoftheMissourithatisturnedintoaLakebyOaheDam.

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Builder:DakotaAccess,LLC,asubsidiaryoftheDallas,TXcompanyEnergy

TransferPartners,LP.,aFortune500companythatproducesnaturalgasand

propane.ItownspartofSunocoandSouthernUnionCompany.

Cost:$3.7billion.AccordingtoWikipedia,itwillcreate40permanentjobs.

Predecessors:

MapofExistingOilandGasPipelinesinNorthAmerica-source:Theodora.com

Green=oil

Red=gas

Blue=productssuchasgasolineandethylene

Dottedline=underconstruction

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ExistingPipelinesbetweenNorthDakotaandSt.Louis

TheKeystonePipelinePhaseIalreadycarriesoilfromAlbertatoPatokaviaa

junctioninSteeleCityNE.ItalsorunsfromSteeleCitytoanothertankfarmin

Cushing,OKandfromCushingtorefineriesinPortArthurTX.TheKeystone

PipelinePhase4wouldhaverunfromHardistyAlbertatoSteeleCityNebraska,

improvinganexistingpipebyincreasingthediameterandfollowingashorterroute.

InSteeleCityitwouldhavehookeduptotheexistingpiperunningtoPatokaIllinois.

ItwouldhaverunthroughBaker,MontanaandpickedupBakkenoilthere.On

November6,2015,theObamaadministrationrejectedit.

TheSandpiperpipelinehasbeenproposedtorunfromtheNDBakkenfieldsto

SuperiorWI.TheNDPublicServiceCommissionapproveditin2014,butits

decisionwasoverturnedinSeptember2015.InMinnesota,theMinnesotaCt.of

AppealsoverruledtheMinnesotaPublicUtilitiesCommission'sapprovalofthe

project.Enbridge,themainowner,claimsthatSandpiperservesapublicbenefitand

thusisa"statutorilydefinedpublicutility,"makingit"immaterialthatprivate

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interestsarealsoserved."Enbridgesaysitisnecessarytomeetthe"demand"for

Bakkenoil.TheWhiteEarthIndianReservationsaysthatSandpiperwouldcrossit,

andopposesit.Enbridgeclaimsthatitdoesnotcrossthereservation.

Enbridge,aCanadianpipelinecompany,alreadycompletedapipelinein2013,

takingNorthDakotaoilintoCanadawhereithooksuptoEnbridge'smainpipeline

totheUSMidwest.Apparentlythereisnoinfrastructureforproducingand

exportingBakkennaturalgas,soitisburnedoff(accordingtoWikipedia)costing

$100million/month.

BreakingNews:

The"ColonialPipeline,"whichtransportsgasolinefromHoustontoNewYorkand

theeasternUS,hasrupturedinShelbyCounty,ALspillingabout250,000gallons

andcausingshortagesforsomegasstations.

HowtosupportStandingRock:Asimplewayistogotothetribalwebsiteat

www.standingrock.organdusethePayPalbuttontodonatedirectlytotheTribes

ownDakotaAccessPipelineDonationFund.Ormailadonationto:

StandingRockSiouxTribe

Attention:Donations

POBoxD

Building#1

NorthStandingRockAvenue

FortYates,ND58538

PleasemakecheckspayabletoStandingRockSiouxTribe-Donations

Donationswillbeusedforlegal,sanitaryandemergencypurposes!