The BBC is reporting that North Dakota Senator John Hoeven confirmed that the Corps of Engineers had been ordered to allow the work on the disputed section of the pipeline to proceed.
Hoeven made the announcement late Tuesday, saying that acting Secretary of the Army, Robert Speer, had directed the Army Corps of Engineers to “proceed” with the easement necessary to complete the DAPL. Hoeven said he had also talked with Vice-President Mike Pence.
The Standing Rock Sioux have opposed the construction of the pipeline under Lake Oahe, a primary source of the tribe’s drinking water. And just yesterday, Digital Journal reported that the Native American rights groups are promising to lead a mass mobilization against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, saying they will resist and will not back down.
Cramer, a Republican, said he had received word from the Corps of Engineers that they will grant final approval and that congressional notification of the decision was “imminent,” according to CNN.
Cramer also praised Trump, calling him a “man of action” after his executive actions last week to move ahead with approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Standing Rock Sioux wrote: “To abandon the (environmental impact statement) would amount to a wholly unexplained and arbitrary change based on the President’s personal views and, potentially, personal investments.”
The tribe has vowed to challenge any granting of the easement in court, reports ABC News, and Chairman Dave Archambault renewed that vow again Tuesday night. “If it does become a done deal in the next few days, we’ll take it to the judicial system,” Archambault said. “This is a good indicator of what this country is going to be up against in the next four years. So America has to brace itself.”
