Trump Administration Pushes Ahead on Two Pipeline Projects

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Paul Cramer says the further environmental study of the pipeline project initiated January 18 by the Obama administration will be cancelled under President Trump’s January 24 Executive Order to the Corps of Engineers directing reconsideration of the need for further review. A memo from Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Douglas Lamont states “there is no cause for completing any additional environmental analysis” of the project.

Jan Hasselman, attorney for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe which has long opposed routing the pipeline beneath Lake Oahe along the Missouri River, says Trump’s order and the Army’s responsive reversal “continues a historic pattern of broken promises to Indian Tribes and a violation of treaty rights. They will be held accountable in court.”

Meanwhile, on February 10, the State Department environmental review of Enbridge Energy’s Alberta Clipper pipeline capacity expansion found no significant negative environmental impact from an increase 800,000 barrel per day moving on the 3 mile expanded section, which now carries only 450,000 barrels per day.