An earlier diary today contained footage of a chaotic protest against a North Dakota pipeline. These tragic events are pitting the beleaguered North Dakota Sioux Tribal members and their allies against a construction job that is currently employing almost 5000 unionized construction workers.
How did it come to this?
Over the last few years, the “Bakken” oil fields in northeast North Dakota have begun supplying massive amounts of crude oil. But North Dakota lacked pipelines, so instead, the railroads began hauling millions of gallons of that highly volatile oil to customers throughout North America.
Dozens of trains carrying Bakken crude have since derailed, causing oil spills, fires, and explosions, and killing 47 folks during the horrific total destruction of the town of Lac-Megantic in Canada,
In 2014, Energy Transfer, a pipeline company, proposed to build the 1100-mile Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from the Bakken fields to the Illinois refineries, passing through four states. All four states have approved the project, in part because it would be safer to transport oil in a pipeline rather than by train. Several farming groups also supported DAPL because the railroads were too busy hauling oil, to haul the farmers’ crops to markets.
The federal Army Corps of Engineers also has permitting authority over DAPL, because the Corps’ duties include protecting water bodies and wetlands which DAPL would cross.
The Corps required DAPL to survey the proposed route and identify not only water crossings, but the presence of any historic sites, including those important to Native American Tribes.
While DAPL would not cross Reservation lands, it would travel through the historic boundaries of the Sioux Nation, which is essentially everywhere the Buffalo roamed.
DAPL hired archaeologists and historians to prepare a study when they submitted to the Corps. After the Corps reviewed the massive study, the Corps began consulting with the 63 Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, including the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, about ways to reduce impacts to important sites.
But after numerous meetings, and a single site visit by the Corps and the Tribe’s archaeologists, the Sioux respectfully declined to participate in any more surveys.
Meanwhile, other tribes continued to work with the Corps during the two year process, which included 389 meetings. In several instances, other Tribes, such as the Osage, persuaded the Corps to force rerouting of DAPL to avoid sites containing cultural resources.
However, the Sioux contended they were the only folks qualified to identify their sites of cultural resources, yet the Sioux declined to share that information with the Corps, according to the Corps’ court filings.
DAPL began construction a few months ago, and almost 5000 workers are currently on that job. But local opposition continued. Environmental groups filed appeals and court suits, and dozens were arrested during peaceful protests.
But in Iowa, someone committed arson against three DAPL construction sites, destroying about $1 million worth of equipment.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota recently filed a federal court suit seeking to overturn the Corps’ permit for DAPL, and force a halt to its construction.
The federal judge said he would not issue a decision until September 9, and DAPL continued construction, except on the proposed underground crossing of the Missouri River.
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters assembled at a camp near the DAPL construction sites in North Dakota. Yesterday they marched on the DAPL site. Dozens jumped a fence and approached the workers who were on private property. Watch the video and draw your own conclusions.
I’m a former teamster and I have consulted in the past with some unions whose affiliated locals now have members working on DAPL.
I’ve even assisted these unions to oppose pipelines proposed by fly-by-night companies. As Cory Bryson, of Laborers Local 563 put it, his union's stance has been to fight irresponsible pipeline projects in the state in an effort to prevent oil spills caused by poor construction. "We're wanting responsible projects, and Dakota Access Pipeline has a responsible owner," he said.
I’m not overjoyed to think that our country will be consuming billions of gallons of oil for several more decades. But in the meantime, I’d rather see that oil moving through a safer pipeline, than on trains. I’d rather see us use domestically obtained Bakken oil, than Tar Sands from Canada or Venezuela.