U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to grant easement for Dakota Access Pipeline

Easement granted for Dakota Access Pipeline despite protests.

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

published 7 February 2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will grant an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline, Reuters reported Tuesday, based on court filings. The controversial $3.8 billion pipeline runs through four states and has been heavily protested in North Dakota, where it passes through sacred Standing Rock Sioux lands as well as beneath a tribal water source. Supporters of the pipeline praise the opportunity for job creation and the transportation of oil.

In December, under former President Barack Obama, the Army Corps said it would not grant an easement, claiming that "there's more work to do" and "the best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.