Biden admin report on Dakota Access Pipeline permit doesn't indicate if it will be canceled

The Biden administration released a report on Friday examining whether a permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline would be canceled, without indicating a decision. 

The draft report, issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), followed a 2020 court order for an environmental impact review of the pipeline, which has been operating since 2017, according to The Hill.  

The Dakota Access Pipeline is approximately 1,200-mile long and carries oil produced in North Dakota to Illinois. Among the options considered were keeping the pipeline or adding to it. 

Those that oppose the pipeline include the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, due to the possible impact on the water supply. 

“We’re furious that the Army Corps has addressed none of our major concerns during the review process,” the tribe chairwoman Janet Alkire said, according to The Hill. 

“The pipeline is an imminent threat to the Missouri River, sensitive habitat and sacred burial sites along the riverbank,” she added. “The oil company’s emergency response plans are inadequate, its safety track record is horrendous, and there’s been a stunning lack of transparency with Standing Rock throughout the environmental review process, including inaccurate characterizations of tribal consultation.”

But others, such as Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), welcomed the release of the report.  

“I fundamentally disagree with the need for an Environmental Impact Statement especially after the pipeline has been safely operational for several years,” Cramer said. “Nonetheless, I am grateful this Draft Environmental Impact Statement was finally released.”