Rep. Ellison Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline

Statement

Rep. Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement after the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, and Department of the Army announced a pause in the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.

"This is the right decision by President Obama's administration, and I applaud the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, and the Department of the Army for placing a hold on the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This project risks polluting the Missouri and Cannonball Rivers, which are a critical source of water for millions of people. The pipeline would also travel through land--including a burial ground -- sacred to the Lakota and Dakota Nations.

"While construction is halted on federal lands, the Justice Department also asked Energy Transfer Partners to halt construction on bordering lands until a more thorough review can take place. Moreover, they have pledged to convene a government-to-government summit, to ensure indigenous communities have proper input on future infrastructure projects.

"These indigenous communities contend the Dakota Access Pipeline fails to adequately address their concerns of sovereignty, cultural heritage, and environmental protection. Their protests are legitimate, and they are desperate to be heard. I'm glad we're finally listening to them.

"However, stopping construction is not the protestors' only concern. Over the Labor Day weekend, many protestors at the construction site were pepper sprayed and some were bitten by attack dogs from private security contractors hired by the Energy Transfer Partners corporation. Protest is a time honored tradition in the United States, and these aggressive tactics are unacceptable. Everyone at the protest site should practice non-violence.

"It is also important to remember the workers at the construction site are not the decision makers. Many of these workers are trade unionists and understand the importance of peaceful protest. Energy Transfer Partners is responsible for decisions about the project, not workers.

"As many of the protestors have pointed out: Water Is Life. The local Native communities and their allies are standing for the health of the environment and their tribal heritage. I stand in solidarity with the protestors' demand for a fair and thorough review of this project."

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