Dakota Access review to re-examine impact on tribe
BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge’s order for more environmental review of the already-operating Dakota Access oil pipeline has several potential outcomes, all of which could spark even more wrangling in a Washington, D.C., court room. The big question is whether the pipeline will be shut down while the case plays out — and if so, for how long.
Some questions and answers about the case:
WHAT IS THE PIPELINE AGAIN?
The $3.8 billion pipeline built by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners moves oil from western North Dakota to a distribution point in Illinois, where it can be shipped to the Gulf Coast and potentially lucrative markets abroad. It began operating June 1 and has the capacity to move half of North Dakota’s daily oil production. American Indian tribes in the Dakotas fear environmental and cultural harm — which ETP disputes — and are trying to persuade a federal judge to shut down the line that they’ve been battling nearly a year.