August, 25 2016, 03:15pm EDT
Environmental, Tribal, Landowner Groups Urge President Obama to Repeal Permits for Dakota Access Pipeline
Leading national and local environmental, tribal, and landowners' rights organizations sent a letter to President Obama today expressing concern about the Army Corps of Engineers' approval of some of the permits for the Dakota Access pipeline and urging him to direct the Corps to repeal those permits and not issue any further permits until it can be fully evaluated and held to the same standard as the Keystone XL pipeline.
WASHINGTON
Leading national and local environmental, tribal, and landowners' rights organizations sent a letter to President Obama today expressing concern about the Army Corps of Engineers' approval of some of the permits for the Dakota Access pipeline and urging him to direct the Corps to repeal those permits and not issue any further permits until it can be fully evaluated and held to the same standard as the Keystone XL pipeline.
The letter, signed by the Executive Directors of 31 groups, as well as the full list of signers, is available here.
The Dakota Access pipeline, which would extend 1,168 miles across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, would threaten communities, farms, Tribal land, sensitive natural areas and wildlife habitat. It would pass within just half a mile of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, putting sacred sites and culturally important landscapes at risk and posing a devastating public health threat to the Tribe's drinking water in the case of a spill.
Given these risks, opposition to the pipeline continues to grow with support from activists across the country. Standing Rock Sioux tribal members, joined by hundreds of Native and non-native allies and with official support from more than 90 tribal governments across the country, have gathered at the construction site over the last few weeks to block construction. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has also taken legal action to block construction of the pipeline. Yesterday a Federal Judge declined to issue a temporary injunction blocking construction of the pipeline. Protests will continue at the site until the court hears the Tribe's request for a permanent injunction in September.
Today's letter expresses solidarity with the tribes and landowners along the pipeline route and urges President Obama to take action to stop this pipeline from threatening their land, water, public health, and tribal rights.
Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN's activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.
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URGENT: Please read thread below. We have just days to convince the Senate NOT to pass a “terrifying” law (@RonWyden) that will force U.S. businesses to serve as NSA spies. CALL YOUR SENATOR NOW using this call tool (click below or call 202-899-8938). 1/25 https://t.co/HAOHURZoJQ
— Elizabeth Goitein (@LizaGoitein) April 15, 2024
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