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North Dakota gains financially with completion of Dakota Access

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Authorities in North Dakota evicted the last remaining residents of Oceti Sakowin, the #NoDAPL encampment that hosted tens of thousands of people, during the fourth week of February 2017. Photo: Rob Wilson [Resistance Photography GoFundMe]

Politicians in North Dakota repeatedly complained about the financial costs of the #NoDAPL movement but the state stands to gain greatly once the Dakota Access Pipeline is completed.

The pipeline will generate oil taxes and property taxes once it's in operation. According to the Associated Press, revenues will top $110 million every year, or more than enough to account for the $22 million that Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota) said was spent on law enforcement in the past few months.

“The amount of the windfall to the state doesn’t surprise me at all,” activist Payu Harris told the AP. “That’s why the state of North Dakota expended the resources they did.”

Construction crews are working to finish the final portion of the pipeline in North Dakota. Oil could be flowing as soon as next week although that's not likely, the firm indicated during a hearing in federal court on Tuesday. But work is likely to be completed by April 1, an attorney said.

Judge James E. Boasberg has told Dakota Access to provide 48 hours advance notice of placing crude in the pipeline. He's also planning to issue a decision sometime next week on an injunction sought by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe that might put a hold on the pipeline.

Additionally, both Cheyenne River and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe are seeking to set aside an easement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted to Dakota Access last month. The easement was approved without consultation of either tribe.

Read More on the Story:
AP Exclusive: Taxes could flow with Dakota Access pipeline (AP 3/1)

Indian Country #NoDAPL Briefs:
Oglala Sioux Tribe (February 21, 2017)
Pueblo of Pojoaque / Association on American Indian Affairs / University of New Mexico School of Law Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic (February 21, 2017)
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center / 13 Tribes / 105 Non-Profit Organizations (February 21, 2017)
National Congress of American Indians / 34 Tribes / 11 Tribal Organizations / 2 Civil Rights Organizations (February 22, 2017)

Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Termination of the Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (February 17, 2017)

Prior Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (January 18, 2017)

Dakota Access Pipeline Approval Documents:
Department of Justice Notice | Department of the Army Approval Memorandum | Notice of Termination of EIS for Dakota Access Pipeline | Easement Letter to Congressional Leadership

White House Documents:
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing (January 24, 2017)
Press Release: President Trump Takes Action to Expedite Priority Energy and Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)