Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and four other Democratic senators are asking President Barack Obama to halt construction of the four-state Dakota Access pipeline until a full environmental review can be completed.
In a statement, the senators said Thursday the request is due to a federal appeals court denying the Standing Rock Sioux’s motion for a temporary work stoppage in southern North Dakota within 20 miles of Lake Oahe. The feds stopped construction on land bordering and under the lake in order to review the permitting process.
An environmental review would likely delay the pipeline, which Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners hopes to complete by the end of the year.
White House spokesman Patrick Rodenbush declined to comment.
The other senators are Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Dianne Feinstein of California, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
The proposed Dakota Access Pipeline would transport crude oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa and into Illinois.
The underground pipeline would transport 470,000 barrels of crude oil a day, which would be sent to markets and refineries in the Midwest, East Coast and Gulf Coast regions, according to Energy Transfer Crude Oil Co.
However, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says the pipeline would come within a half-mile of their reservation and could disturb or destroy sacred historical sites.
Also, tribal leaders are concerned about the consequences the pipeline would have on their water supply.
Source: News Agencies
