A Victory! Federal Judge Rules DAPL Needs More Environmental Review, But Doesn’t Stop Operations … Yet

This just in from the Washington Post: Federal judge orders environmental review of Dakota Access pipeline. It starts out:

A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to conduct further environmental reviews of the Dakota Access pipeline but stopped short of halting oil-pumping operations pending further hearings beginning June 21. …

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “substantially complied” with federal environmental laws, [U.S. District Judge James E.] Boasberg wrote, “it did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipeline’s effects are likely to be highly controversial.”

It is unclear whether Energy Transfer Partners will have to stop operating the pipeline pending further environmental review. That will be decided at a later hearing. The judge set a hearing for Wednesday to discuss next steps.

The Seattle Times wrote a more upbeat story: Federal judge rejects Dakota Access Pipeline permits, calls for do-over:

In a dramatic turnaround, a federal judge has ruled that permits to complete the Dakota Access Pipeline must be reconsidered, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has demanded the flow of oil through the pipeline be stopped.

One thought on “A Victory! Federal Judge Rules DAPL Needs More Environmental Review, But Doesn’t Stop Operations … Yet

  1. An honest and thorough assessment of the whole impact would be welcome. Hope this is a step toward that assessment.

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