AOPL disapproves of administration’s refusal to approve DAPL
Published by Stephanie Roker,
Editor
World Pipelines,
The Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) decried the current administration’s continued refusal today to grant final approval for the Dakota Access Pipeline project even while admitting previous project decisions met legal requirements.
“This administration continues to astonish after admitting previous Dakota Access pipeline decisions were legal, which include the environmental and cultural finding of no significant impact, they are still refusing to provide final approval for the project,” said Andrew Black, AOPL President and CEO.
In July, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued a formal Finding of No Significant Impact after conducting an environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline project. Required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NEPA review represents the federal government’s official assessment of the environmental and cultural impacts of the project.
Dakota Access’s federal NEPA review found the proposed route for the pipeline is the preferred alternative and would have less of an impact on the environment than all other alternatives, including a different route of the pipeline or no pipeline at all.
A federal district court judge in September found the 250 interactions between the Corps, Dakota Access representatives and consulting tribal, cultural and historic representatives met or exceed the Corps’ legal obligations.
The administration after announcing in September an unprecedented halt to the approval process to conduct a review of previous agency actions has now “concluded that [the Corps’] previous decisions comported with legal requirements.” And yet, the administration in its 14 November 2016, letter to stakeholders still questions whether it will grant the final easement for the project.
The administration’s refusal to approve Dakota Access after finding the project meets its environmental and cultural obligations and admitting these findings were legal denies American workers the good paying jobs this project will create. Refusing to approve Dakota Access denies American consumers the potential to benefit from lower prices additional supplies of energy transported by pipeline will bring.
AOPL urges the administration to respect the legal environmental and consultation approvals Dakota Access has already obtained and grant final approval to this project.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/28112016/aopl-disapproves-of-administrations-refusal-to-approve-dapl/
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