Dapl's Legal Battle: Broken Laws And Consequences

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is a controversial project that has been criticised for violating environmental law and Native American rights. The pipeline, which was advanced by President Trump after the Obama administration temporarily halted its construction, poses a threat to the Missouri River and Lake Oahe, which are critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture and industry. The Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes and environmental groups oppose the pipeline due to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the potential contamination of drinking water. Despite these concerns, the federal government, acting through the Army Corps of Engineers, has authority over 37 miles of the 1,100-mile pipeline.

The DAPL breaks environmental law

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) breaks environmental law. The pipeline poses a large threat to the cleanliness of the Missouri River, especially Lake Oahe, which is critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture, and industry. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has authority over the DAPL, halted construction under the Obama administration upon confirmation of the Sioux Tribe’s Treaty rights over Lake Oahe and its surroundings. However, President Trump's advancement of the DAPL came as no surprise, as it places corporate interests over Native rights supposedly secured by the law. A closer examination of the laws delineating Sioux tribe rights, as well as the criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reveals that the law does not permit Trump to blanket all prior reviews as satisfying NEPA and therefore cannot justify the completion of the pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes, and environmental groups oppose the pipeline because of the greenhouse gas emissions from the oil it carries, and concerns that a spill would contaminate state and tribal drinking water.

The DAPL breaks the law by threatening the cleanliness of the Missouri River

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) breaks the law by threatening the cleanliness of the Missouri River. The pipeline was permitted and built under state law, but the federal government, acting through the Army Corps of Engineers, has authority over 37 miles of the 1100-mile pipeline, where it passes over or under streams, rivers, and federal dams. The Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes, and environmental groups oppose the pipeline because of the greenhouse gas emissions from the oil it carries and concerns that a spill would contaminate state and tribal drinking water.

The construction of the DAPL poses a large threat to the cleanliness of the Missouri River, especially Lake Oahe, which is critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture, and industry. The Obama administration, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, halted construction upon confirmation of the Sioux Tribe's treaty rights over Lake Oahe and its surroundings.

President Trump's advancement of the DAPL came as no surprise, as he automatically upheld the Environmental Assessment, placing corporate interests over Native rights supposedly secured by law. A closer examination of the laws delineating Sioux tribe rights, as well as the criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reveals that the law does not permit Trump to blanket all prior reviews as satisfying NEPA and therefore cannot justify the completion of the pipeline.

The DAPL breaks the law by threatening the drinking water of the Sioux Tribe

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) breaks the law by threatening the drinking water of the Sioux Tribe. The pipeline passes over or under streams, rivers, and federal dams, and the Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes, and environmental groups oppose it because of the greenhouse gas emissions from the oil it carries, and concerns that a spill would contaminate state and tribal drinking water.

The construction of the DAPL poses a large threat to the cleanliness of the Missouri River, especially Lake Oahe, which is critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture, and industry. The Obama administration, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, halted construction upon confirmation of the Sioux Tribe's Treaty rights over Lake Oahe and its surroundings.

However, President Trump's advancement of the DAPL came as no surprise, as he automatically upheld the Environmental Assessment, placing corporate interests over Native rights supposedly secured by law. A closer examination of the laws delineating Sioux tribe rights, as well as the criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reveals that Trump's memorandum cannot justify the completion of the pipeline.

The DAPL's violation of environmental law and lack of Native agency have been well-documented, with the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review publishing pieces on the topic.

The DAPL breaks the law by threatening Native rights

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) breaks the law by threatening Native rights. The pipeline poses a large threat to the cleanliness of the Missouri River, especially Lake Oahe, which is critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture and industry. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has authority over the DAPL, halted construction under the Obama administration upon confirmation of the Sioux Tribe's Treaty rights over Lake Oahe and its surroundings. However, Trump's advancement of the DAPL places corporate interests over Native rights. A closer examination of the laws delineating Sioux tribe rights, as well as the criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reveals that the law does not permit Trump to blanket all prior reviews as satisfying NEPA and therefore cannot justify the completion of the pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes, and environmental groups oppose the pipeline because of the greenhouse gas emissions from oil that it carries, and concerns that a spill would contaminate state and tribal drinking water.

The DAPL breaks the law by threatening the environment

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) breaks the law by threatening the environment. The pipeline poses a large threat to the cleanliness of the Missouri River, especially Lake Oahe, which is critical to the sustainment of Sioux homes, schools, businesses, agriculture, and industry. The construction of the DAPL was halted under the Obama administration upon confirmation of the Sioux Tribe's Treaty rights over Lake Oahe and its surroundings. However, President Trump's advancement of the controversial pipeline came as no surprise, as he placed corporate interests over Native rights.

The Standing Rock Sioux, other tribes, and environmental groups oppose the pipeline due to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from the oil it carries and the potential contamination of state and tribal drinking water in the event of a spill. The federal government, acting through the Army Corps of Engineers, has authority over 37 miles of the 1100-mile pipeline, where it passes over or under streams, rivers, and federal dams.

A closer examination of the laws delineating Sioux tribe rights, as well as the criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reveals that Trump's blanket upholding of prior reviews as satisfying NEPA is not permitted by law and therefore cannot justify the completion of the pipeline. The DAPL's disregard for the environmental impact and Native rights secured by law demonstrates its breach of environmental law and the threat it poses to the environment.

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