After stretching 1,127 miles from Patoka, Illinois to Morton County, North Dakota, federal agents have halted construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline after months of controversy surrounding the statement that the government intended to build over the tops of the graves of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ancestors.
The federal project was intended to transport crude oil across the country through a pipeline with a budget of $3.78 billion. Originally built to transport a total of 470,000 barrels of oil per day, the maximum capacity stands at a total of 570,000 barrels per day. This project was approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and collected the final permits in July of 2016, while construction halted on Dec. 4 with hopes to relocate the pipeline.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was formed out of the Great Sioux Reservation, cemented on April 29, 1868 as a result of the Treaty of Fort Laramie. These protesters, consisting of the remaining Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members and their allies, sued the federal government earlier this year in claims that their reservation is being invaded by the new project.
Protesters have come from around the world in countries such as Russia, Japan and Australia to defend the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other potential victims such as the Bismarck in their fight to protect their reservation against eminent domain.
A major concern for these protesters is the pollution that the pipeline could cause to their water sources in the Missouri River, while at the same time, they’re seeking recognition as a group of people that matter to a free society.
Cory St. Esprit, a Penn State Beaver professor who teaches Introduction to Physical Geography and Climates of the World, regarded that “[The following] views do not reflect the views, actions, or beliefs of Penn State Beaver or the Pennsylvania State University system, but are my own words and thoughts.” He then commented,“So the battle is partly environmental, but more along the lines of the Black Lives Matter movement — where Standing Rock is saying, ‘We aren’t saying lives in Bismarck don’t matter, but why should their safety be put above our own.’”
He was able to provide insight as to why the water contamination is an issue.
“As humans, we can’t go more than a few days without water and we have seen countless times the detrimental impacts that impure [polluted water] can have on the human body. People [around] the world have fought and will continue to fight for equal access to clean water rights for themselves and their families,” St. Esprit said.
Aside from the detrimental impacts this pipeline could have to natural water sources, he was also able to note that “All of the pipeline is a risk to the environment, [but] so is any sort of extraction process. Anytime you either take something from the ground or put something into it, you run the risk of environmental impacts. Anything from digging a hole in your [backyard] to the drilling of oil sands in Canada, [which DAPL will be transporting].”
The question remains, if new advancements in technology could negatively impact the environment, what solution can we find that will benefit the economy, the people and the surrounding ecosystem?
“The key is the amount of risk you’re willing to take on in the name of cheap energy. At this point, we do not have viable alternatives to petroleum based energy. Wind and Solar are still, in many ways, in their infancy and not yet capable of producing the energy needed to sustain economic growth. Even these initiatives have environmental impact in the amount of roads and infrastructure it takes to build these projects,” St. Esprit said.
While the government is attempting to provide more advanced and easier solutions to the country as a whole, the individuals affected by the new inventions are questioning their personal rights to a clean, healthy society.
St. Esprit’s closing remarks continued, reminding that “The Wright Brothers didn’t get aviation right on the first try. It took many iterations of the airplane, including many accidents and mishaps, to get the massive air travel/safety that we see today. Drilling in the ground is very similar. It’s not going to be right and safe right away — but if you don’t practice it, you’ll never be able to practically make it safer.”