The White House defended its decision to block the Dakota Access pipeline, despite this week’s federal district court ruling that rejected claims by North Dakota Native Americans that its construction would violate federal law.
Presidential press secretary Josh Earnest said the administration blocked the pipeline’s construction in order to ensure that “everyone’s views and perspectives were properly considered.”
He said the administration is especially concerned about complaints from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that it could damage the tribe’s drinking water because the pipeline would cross manmade Lake Oahe in North Dakota.
“In this case we are talking about Native Americans, and there is a rather sad chapter in our history with regard to the federal government not effectively looking out for concerns of native populations in this country, and that’s left a legacy – one this administration is determined to address,” Earnest said.
The federal district court on Friday rejected the claims the tribe that built the pipeline would violate federal law, arguing that it needs almost no federal permitting because 99 percent of its route is on private land.
The tribe countered that some of the land the pipeline will cross has significant cultural heritage for it even though not of it is on the Sioux reservation land.
