U.S. Lawmakers Ask President To Shut Down “Illegal” Dakota Access Pipeline

According to The Hill, a group of 33 Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting that his administration shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline.

As Connecting the Dots reported at the time, in January 2021 a federal court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers should have conducted an environmental impact statement before the pipeline was allowed to move forward.

The lawmakers who oppose the infrastructure project told the president he should shut down the pipeline while that review moves forward. The letter said, “By shutting down this illegal pipeline, you can continue to show your administration values the environment and the rights of Indigenous communities more than the profits of outdated fossil fuel industries.” They also argued, “This is a critical step towards righting the wrongs of the past and setting our nation on a path of environmental, climate, and social justice.”

According to the Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA), which MSCI is a member of, if the Dakota Access Pipeline is canceled it will mean 500,000 barrels of oil per day will need to be transported via the nation’s rail system. Using rail instead of the pipeline would cause locomotives to emit 750,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year by burning 68 million gallons of diesel fuel.