Albert Bender: Spill confirms fears on Dakota Access Pipeline


An aerial photo of an area that was affected by the Colonial Pipeline Line 1 spill in Alabama. Service has since been restored after a response effort. Photo by Colonial Pipeline

Albert Bender, an attorney and member of the Cherokee Nation, came back from the #NoDAPL encampment in North Dakota only to find out about an oil spill in his neck of the woods:
The anxiety felt by the stalwart sacred water protectors and their allies in their resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline can be confirmed by the Colonial Pipeline spill affecting large swaths of the Southern and Northeastern United States. The effect of this spill is being felt all the way to New Jersey.

Living in one of the states, Tennessee, affected by this pipeline break, I first heard of the spill last Friday, September 16. There was the usual lamenting and dire predictions of the gas stations running out of fuel, long lines and angry motorists (locally I even was told of a few fist fights at the pumps).

Astonishingly, then again maybe not so astonishingly, there was the information that the break actually occurred on September 9, a full week prior to any news release. The leak was reportedly discovered by an inspector for the Alabama Surface Mining Commission in the course of performing a routine check at an inactive coal mine. Just, think, he was not even checking the pipeline. This leak was discovered just by happenstance!

Read More:
Albert Bender: Colonial Pipeline spill confirms worries of Standing Rock Sioux water protectors (People's World 9/23)

Albert Bender at Standing Rock:
Native demonstration against pipeline held at law offices in Bismarck (People's World 8/30)
“We are fighting a monster, but we will win”: Standing Rock Sioux (People's World 8/29)
Dakota Access pipeline protests grow (People's World 8/28)
Confrontation on the Northern Plains: Native Americans fight to stop Dakota Access pipeline (People's World 8/22)

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