CNN's map is inaccurately portrayed (by them). It makes it look as if the pipeline crosses tribal lands. It does not. This is one of the many lies pushed by the elders of the Standing Rock Sioux, a people acting without honor, who have been donated millions of dollars by people who have believed their falsehoods, falsehoods they have used the global media and social media to spread.
For an eye opener, and accuracy, see:
http://standingrockfactchecker.org/standing-rock-sioux-chairman-continues-spread-falsities-surrounding-dakota-access/Despite complaints of endangering water supplies, the new intake will be 70 miles from the pipeline crossing, as proposed,
http://standingrockfactchecker.org/standing-rock-sioux-tribe-plans-move-water-intake-end-year-protests-began/ but less than two miles from the rail line which carries oil laden trains East.
There are claims the Tribe was left out of the process, but they were invited to participate. Their absence was by choice, their lack of input needed only a letter or a phone call to be rectified at any time during the 13 month review process. During that process, the pipeline route was surveyed by archaeologists on foot, and 140 alterations to the route made to avoid items/areas of possible cultural significance. More on this and other lies the protesters told:
http://mwalliancenow.org/news/despite-facts-standing-rock-sioux-tribe-continues-spread-falsities/But, it's all about water, right? No. At least not in court.
http://mwalliancenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Document-39.pdf Rather than question any environmental hazard (the vein tapped into for big bucks and gofundme dollars), instead, the Tribe sued (UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, et al., Defendants.
in
Civil Action No. 16-1534 (JEB)
For injunctive relief based on the belief that "... the Corps flouted its duty to engage in tribal consultations under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and that irreparable harm will ensue..."
Not an argument of environmental threat at all, rather claims that culturally and historically valuable sites will be irreparably harmed.
Recall the part above about Archaeologists walking the pipeline route? No such resources were found. Nor were they found when the Northern Border Gas Pipeline was emplaced along much the same route, of the High Tension power lines went in along that same route.
I won't keep you in suspense, but the effort to obtain an injunction failed: the pipeline was to proceed.
Failing in this attempt, the Tribe turned to the media. Most of which has never met a cause against 'Big Oil' it didn't like, be that opposition to drilling, fraccing, flaring gas, building infrastructure, truck transport of crude oil, rail transport of crude oil, pipelines, what have you. The tribe also recognized the power of getting the lies out on social media and playing on the sympathies of the ignorant and misinformed, and between the Tribe and professional protesters and Environmental types, as well as the ignorant, misguided, misinformed, and some 'true believers', used social media to propagate lies about the situation.
Even more, they used the internet to raise more money and support from well meaning dupes all over--millions of dollars 'crowd sourced' and in supplies donated to a cause people thought was just.
The bottom line? They lied.
In the end? the Corps of Engineers refused to issue the easement they had assured ETP they would, in the waning days of corruption of the Obama Administration.
Whether this refusal will stand or not remains to be seen, but it ensures more delay, higher shipping costs, lower wellhead prices, higher taxes, and lower royalty payments, including those made to Tribes with oil under their land (Arikara, Hidatsa, Mandan AKA the Three Affiliated Tribes, members of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and others. The Standing Rock Sioux have no oil beneath their tribal lands, but even if they did, after this stunt and the deceit practiced an oil company would have to be run by lunatics to consider developing those resources if there were any.
In the meantime, the State of ND and the LE Agencies in the counties affected will be out some ten million dollars in costs, there is a bridge to be repaired or replaced that suffered damage from burning dump trucks used to block it, numerous subsequent fires, and apparent attempts by protesters to use propane bottles as IEDs.
The construction company has suffered over a million dollars in damage to equipment, local ranchers are missing livestock or have found it killed and partially butchered, including a number of buffalo from a private herd, worth up to 10,000 each to a rancher/processor.
Americans will be stuck with the costs, should there be any, of removing the detritus left by a camp of over 5000 people, as that was mostly on Corps of Engineers (Federal) land.
And for now, Winter will do its thing, and teach the folks from elsewhere a lesson in why oil is a good thing as they try to heat their shacks and tents long enough to pack their stuff and return to whatever place they came from, complete with their ecowhacko merit badge for participating in one of the greatest frauds of the 21st Century.
Seven above this morning with brisk winds and a wind chill of -24, blizzard conditions with visibility under 1/4 mile and occasional whiteout conditions.
