Disgraceful. That is the first thing that ran through my head when I heard the news that the Department of the Army had granted the final easement to allow completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In doing so, they also cancelled the environmental review and public comment process. In less than a month since this review process began, more than 400,000 people submitted comments against going forward with this project, citing threats to the water supply for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their treaty rights.
In January, the Trump Administration issued five executive actions intended to advance the approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Keystone XL Pipeline, and other dirty fossil fuel infrastructure projects. These actions outlined the administration’s intent to fast track and skirt as many regulations in place to allow for public input and environmental review as they possibly can to do corporate polluter’s bidding with haste. The following week, as they were invited to by the Administration, TransCanada resubmitted their permit application for the Keystone XL pipeline. While these moves highlight the administration’s willingness to do Big Oil’s bidding, these pipelines are far from certain.
In December, in response to monumental public outcry against the Dakota Access Pipeline and in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Obama administration ordered an environmental review of the pipeline to study the effect it would have on the Standing Rock Sioux's sacred land and Lake Oahe, the body of water the pipeline would cut through, the same place where the Tribe gets their drinking water.
This blatant disregard for the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux --they rerouted the pipeline away from Bismarck, a more affluent and predominantly white community, after concerns were raised about their water supply, the need for an environmental review, and for the democratic process of considering public feedback is unacceptable. This decision will go in the books as one of the quickest actions a president has ever taken to threaten Native lands and put Native people at risk for the profit of big corporations. For far too long, Native people have suffered the consequences of big oil, big coal and big fossil fuel industries, and now they are being forced to suffer the consequences of President Trump’s actions. President Trump's decision will continue to perpetuate the idea that tribal reservations are to be exploited and treated as energy sacrifice zones.
In the face of that, a movement continues to grow, one that is made up of what’s best of this country, the best of all people, and one that will continue to rise up in the face of injustice and pollution to oppose the dangerous and anti-democratic agenda that the Trump administration is trying to push through. This movement is not one that will be dismantled by a single setback or by the chaos that the Trump administration has tried to distract us with over the past few weeks.
Our movement is strong, and it cannot be silenced by this administration's blatant prioritization of corporate profits over people's wellbeing. And our movement is needed, now more than ever, because the fight against fossil fuel infrastructure projects that pose a direct threat to water, communities, public health and safety and the environment is far from over. Join us and stand strong to resist!
WHAT YOU CAN DO/WHAT’S NEXT:
Dakota Access Pipeline: The Sierra Club will continue to support the legal efforts of the Standing Rock Sioux, collaborating closely with EarthJustice, who continue to represent the Standing Rock Sioux in their case against the Dakota Access Pipeline, but we need your help! Please take the actions below:
Join a rally near you! Actions responding to this decision are popping up all over the country, join one or plan one to show this administration that we won’t stand by while they put corporate profits over clean water and tribal rights.
Send a message to the Trump Adminstration -- Trump said that he had not received one call against Dakota Access, make sure he hears us loud and clear calling on him to honor the environmental review process and the hundreds of thousands of public comments that were already submitted: https://sierra.secure.force.com/actions/National?actionId=AR0068481
Contact the banks that are backing the Dakota Access pipeline and tell them to pull out!