Dakota Pipeline Removal

The Dakota Access Pipeline Project proposes the construction of a 1,172 mile pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois that would transport 470,000 to 570,000 barrels of oil. This project enables for domestically-produced o

il to reach refined markets in a cost-effective, and, most importantly, environmentally-sound manner. The pipeline would also create thousands of job opportunities. Because of this many people are skeptical as to why anyone would object to a project that would help the United States to become energy independent. However concerns against the pipeline are not economic, but cultural.

North Dakota and South Dakota happen to be areas where Native American reservations are abundant. because the pipeline's original route planned to run in close proximity to these tribes many issues arose. With such closeness to reservations, water contamination by crude oil is a major health concern. The pipeline would also run in areas containing sacred burial grounds. This moral violation is the cause behind protests against the pipeline which have included protest camps near construction sites and along the project's original route. Police actions against protesters which included the use of pepper spray and hundreds of arrests have given the protests attention. It has begun the social media hashtag #NoDAPL.

The Dakota Access Pipeline construction was halted by President Barack Obama before he left office. However, President Trump recently advanced the construction of DAPL with an executive order despite interference with the Standing Rock Sioux reservation and 176,000 gallons of oil spills in protesting areas. With this pipeline, what we need to ask ourselves is whether we can allow the United States to continue a history of oppression against Native Americans any longer when water protectors stand on the front lines defending their right to their own land.