 Bemidji, MN - Yesterday, June 1st, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the parent company of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) announced that DAPL is officially fully operational.
This comes just a week after documents were leaked by a TigerSwan contractor revealing that Energy Transfer Partners was involved in using counterterrorist tactics on non-violent Water Protectors. What’s more is that DAPL has already had three oil spills during test runs, this adds to ETP’s already bad track record of being responsible for oil spills, yet taking very little accountability clean spills up or prevent future spills.
While the pipeline is fully operational a federal Judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals still holds the power to halt the project.
Statement from the Indigenous Environmental Network:
“We must not lose sight of why the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline began. The pipeline was originally set to go through Bismarck, ND but the community rejected that plan because they were afraid it would jeopardize the Bismarck water supply. Thereafter the pipeline was routed to pass thru treaty lands of the Oceti Sakowin, also known as the Great Sioux Nation, and within miles of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s primary intake for drinking water, without proper consultation or free, prior and informed consent. Since day one, we have been standing up against this blatant act of environmental racism and social injustice towards Indigenous Peoples.”
“The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's water supply is officially at risk with the pipeline being fully operational. Many other Native and non-Native allies will continue to stand with Standing Rock and continue to organize to ensure Energy Transfer Partners is held accountable for the human rights crimes they have committed, not just against Standing Rock but the many other Native nations along its path.”
Statement from Standing Rock Sioux Chairman, Dave Archambault II:
"Now that the Dakota Access Pipeline is fully operational, we find it more urgent than ever that the courts and administration address the risks posed to the drinking water of millions of American citizens.
“This pipeline became operational today, yet it has already leaked at least 3 times. This is foreboding as the company does not yet have a plan in place to address how they would contain and clean a serious spill.
“We will continue to battle the operation of this pipeline in court and remind everyone that just because the oil is flowing now doesn't mean that it can't be stopped. The courts can stop it by demanding that the administration be held accountable for the full Environmental Impact Statement it initiated and then abandoned."
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The Indigenous Environmental Network was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals in 1990 to address environmental and economic justice issues across Turtle Island, also known as North America.
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