Tag Archives: North Dakota

Protesters slam North Dakota pipeline but company ‘committed’

Protesters demonstrate against the Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, in Los Angeles

By Rich McKay

ATLANTA (Reuters) – Holding signs and banners and chanting “Oil Kills,” protesters in Atlanta and other U.S. cities on Tuesday shouted support for Native American activists trying to stop construction of a North Dakota pipeline they say will desecrate sacred land and pollute water.

The protests against the Dakota Access pipeline have drawn international attention, sparking a renewal of Native American activism and prompting the U.S. government to block its construction on federal land, even as the company building the line expressed its commitment to the project on Tuesday.

“We were all moved by the spirit to be here,” said Linda James Thomas, 59, who attended the Atlanta rally in support of the Georgia State Tribe of the Cherokee.

When fully connected to existing lines, the 1,100-mile (1,770 km), $3.7 billion pipeline would be the first to carry crude oil from the Bakken shale directly to the U.S. Gulf.

Protests were scheduled throughout the day in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and numerous other cities. Previous demonstrations have drawn celebrities including actresses Shailene Woodley and Susan Sarandon, and on Tuesday U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic U.S. presidential candidate, spoke at a rally in the nation’s capital.

“We cannot allow our drinking water to be poisoned so that a handful of fossil fuel companies can make even more in profits,” Sanders, flanked by activists in tribal dress and business suits, told the cheering crowd in Washington, D.C.

Protesters demonstrate against the Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, in Los Angeles

Protesters demonstrate against the Energy Transfer Partners’ Dakota Access oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, in Los Angeles, California, September 12, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

In Ohio, about 100 people gathered at a Cleveland intersection, some clutching bunches of sage and beating drums.

Tracey Hill, 46, a Cleveland resident who is one-eighth Cherokee, said she went last week to protest at the site of the pipeline project in North Dakota. “People are sick of being run roughshod over by corporations,” Hill said.

Activists took to social media to dub Tuesday’s rallies a national “Day of Action” against the pipeline. Many used the hashtag #NoDAPL to show their opposition.

Outside the United States, activists said on social media they planned protests in countries including Britain, Spain, South Korea and New Zealand.

Last week, the Obama administration, responding to the issues raised by the Standing Rock Sioux, whose land runs about a half-mile south of the pipeline’s route, said it would temporarily halt construction on federal land. Acting moments after a federal judge denied the tribe’s request for a halt to construction, the administration asked the company building it to refrain from construction on private land as well.

On Tuesday, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, whose Dakota Access subsidiary is building the pipeline, said in a letter to employees it was committed to the project.

The letter did not address the federal request for a temporary halt of construction. But company officials said they would meet with government administrators.

“We are committed to completing construction and safely operating the Dakota Access Pipeline within the confines of the law,” Kelcy Warren, Energy Transfer Partners’ chairman and chief executive officer, said in the letter.

He dismissed as “unfounded” worries that oil would contaminate water in the Missouri and Cannon Ball rivers, and said the pipeline would address safety concerns connected with vehicle transport of oil.

“We have designed the state-of-the-art Dakota Access pipeline as a safer and more efficient method of transporting crude oil than the alternatives being used today, namely rail and truck,” he said.

In 2013, a runaway oil train in Canada crashed, killing 47 people, and in June 2016 a train carrying crude oil derailed and burst into flames in Oregon.

In coming weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will review its initial decision to permit the pipeline and decide whether it correctly followed federal environmental law in granting permits.

Later this fall, the federal government will meet with Native American leaders to decide whether to reform its process for building infrastructure projects that will affect tribal lands.

In North Dakota, protesters have vowed to remain until the project is halted.

(Additional reporting by Kim Palmer in Cleveland, Catherine Ngai in New York, Valerie Volcovici and Ruthy Munoz in Washington, and Olga Grigoryants in Los Angeles)

North Dakota governor calls in National Guard ahead of pipeline ruling

Protests about pipeline

(Reuters) – North Dakota’s governor activated 100 National Guard troops on Thursday ahead of an expected ruling by a federal judge on a Native American tribe’s request to halt construction of a crude oil pipeline that has drawn fierce opposition and protests.

The $3.7 billion, 1,100-mile (1,770 km) Dakota Access pipeline would carry oil from just north of land owned by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to Illinois, where it would hook up to an existing pipeline and route crude directly to refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The line would be the first to allow movement of crude oil from the Bakken shale, a vast oil formation in North Dakota, Montana and parts of Canada, to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The project has sparked violent clashes between security officers near the construction site and tribe members and other protesters. Opponents say the project will damage burial sites considered sacred to the tribe and pollute the area’s drinking water.

Energy Transfer Partners <ETP.N>, which is leading a group of firms to build the pipeline, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Protesters have included actress Shailene Woodley and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. Some have spray-painted construction equipment, attached themselves to bulldozers and broken a fence, local authorities said.

Protests have been held in both North Dakota and Washington, D.C.

In a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., earlier this week, U.S. Judge James Boasberg granted in part and denied in part the tribe’s request for a temporary restraining order to stop the project, and said he would decide by Friday whether to grant the larger challenge to the pipeline, which would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw permits.

In advance of that decision, Governor Jack Dalrymple ordered National Guard troops to the area from bases in Bismarck and two other cities.

Some two dozen troops will help with security at traffic checkpoints – the closest of which is about 30 miles (48 km) from the protest site, said Guard spokeswoman Amber Balken. One hundred troops in all are ready to aid local law enforcement should protests become violent, she said.

“The Guard members will serve in administrative capacities and assist in providing security at traffic information points – the Guardsmen will not be going to the actual protest site,” Balken said.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

U.S. court expected to decide whether to halt North Dakota pipeline work

Protesters hold signs outside the U.S. District Court in Washington, where a hearing was being held to decide whether to halt construction of an oil pipeline in parts of North Dakota where a Native American tribe says it has ancient burial and prayer sites,

By Julia Harte

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge was expected to decide on Tuesday whether to temporarily halt construction of an oil pipeline in parts of North Dakota where a Native American tribe says it has ancient burial and prayer sites.

After violent clashes over the weekend between protesters and security officers near the construction site, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and a neighboring Native American tribe asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sunday for a temporary restraining order against Dakota Access, the company building the pipeline.

Dakota Access filed its opposition to the tribes’ request early on Tuesday, accusing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of provoking the violence and breaking the law in trying to stop the pipeline.

A group of firms led by Energy Transfer Partners is building the 1,100-mile (1,770-km) pipeline. The $3.7-billion project would be the first to bring crude oil from Bakken shale, a vast oil formation in North Dakota, directly to refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Dakota Access, the limited liability company carrying out the actual construction, had planned for the pipeline to be operational by the fourth quarter of this year, but construction has been dogged since April by protests in North Dakota.

The weekend protests were triggered, the tribes said, when the pipeline company used bulldozers on Saturday to destroy sacred tribal sites whose locations had been identified in court documents filed on Friday.

Heather Mendoza of Arlington, Virginia, holds up a sign as she protests outside the U.S. District Court in Washington, where a hearing was being held to decide whether to halt construction of an oil pipeline in parts of North Dakota where a Native American tribe says it has ancient burial and prayer sites

Heather Mendoza of Arlington, Virginia, holds up a sign as she protests outside the U.S. District Court in Washington, where a hearing was being held to decide whether to halt construction of an oil pipeline in parts of North Dakota where a Native American tribe says it has ancient burial and prayer sites, September 6, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Dakota Access said in its reply to the requested restraining order that the bulldozers were operating under the company’s pre-planned construction schedule and did not destroy any important historical sites.

The tribes want Dakota Access restrained from working on areas of “significant cultural and historic value,” pending a judge’s decision on an injunction they requested last month. It asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which approved the pipeline project in July, to withdraw permits for the project.

The federal judge overseeing the case has said in court hearings that he would decide whether or not to grant the injunction by Sept. 9, according to local media reports.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not oppose the tribes’ motion on Sunday for the temporary restraining order. The agency said in a court document filed on Sunday that “the public interest would be served by preserving peace” until the judge issues a ruling on the injunction.

(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Frances Kerry)

Historic Heat Hits Northern States and Colorado

On Sunday October 11th the normally cool autumn took to late season heat and went to the extreme with record setting temperatures. What makes this so unusual is that this heat was in  parts of Colorado, Nebraska and the Dakotas. For much of the region, temperatures were higher than any on record for so late in the year.  These places are typically now being lulled into winter by a good chill in the air and fall breezes.  

Fargo, North Dakota was one of the places where Sunday was hotter than any other day in 2015, surpassing the city’s high of 96 from Aug. 14. The mercury hit an astonishing 97, establishing several records:Even more impressively, it appears to be hottest temperature ever recorded in the entire state of North Dakota on or after Oct. 11, beating a 95-degree reading taken in Buford on Oct. 11, 1911.

Unusual late-season heat gripped most of the area east of the Rockies in Colorado Sunday. The cooperative observer at Burlington, near the Kansas border, reported a high of 99 degrees, which  was hotter than any other location in Colorado.

But it wasn’t just the North being hit by the unbelievable heat, From Friday to Sunday, downtown Los Angeles hit 100 degrees.  The oppressive 100-degree stretch was the longest  in 25 years and matched the longest ever recorded in October.

The year 1989 was when Los Angeles’ last experienced four straight days at or above 100. Its longest 100-degree stretch on record occurred in 1955 when the mercury topped the century mark for 8 straight days August 31 to September 7.

The heat stressed electricity generators and at least 6,000 customers were without power Friday and Saturday.

North Dakota Schools Reverse Action; Will Recognize Pro-Life Student Groups

Good news for students of two North Dakota school districts; they will be able to join and operate pro-life groups this fall.

Fargo North High School and Davies High School, both in the Fargo Public School District Number 1, will allow and formally recognize Students For Life Club groups.

The school district initially refused the clubs, although they told the Christian Post in a statement it had nothing to do with content but rather incomplete paperwork.

“Administration at Davies High School has not received an application for students to form a Davies Teens for Life group at Davies High School. Students did approach administration in September 2014 regarding the possibility of starting the club,” read the statement.

“In February, administration at North High School received an incomplete application for students to form a Spartans for Life group. … Included in the ‘potential advisor of the club’ area of the application were names of two staff members that serve as paraprofessionals at North High School. Paraprofessionals cannot serve as coaches or advisors of student groups due to the Fair Labor Standards Act.”

However, the school’s claim was undermined with an assistant principal was found to have sent emails to other faculty saying the students could be connected with a church and that because of their connection to a church they couldn’t meet.

The Thomas More Society stepped in to help the students.

“Public schools are required by law to treat all student groups equally,” said Jocelyn Floyd, associate counsel of Thomas More Society, in a statement.

“Fargo North and Davies High Schools are treating pro-life students as second class citizens, forcing them to abide by a policy that was designed to protect students from exploitation by businesses, not to censor the students’ own free speech.”

Students expressed joy at the news they will be able to meet next school year.

“We are thankful to the attorneys at Thomas More Society and to Students for Life of America for supporting all our efforts,” said Fargo North sophomore Brigid O’Keefe.  “We look forward to educating our fellow students on the beauty of life at all stages and offering assistance to those in need in our community.”

Supreme Court Blocks Arizona Abortion Law

The Supreme Court is blocking Arizona from enforcing restrictions on medical abortions while a series of court challenges works through lower courts.

The ruling by the Court upheld a lower court ruling that blocked the rules regulating where women can take abortion-inducing drugs.  Abortion-inducing drugs would also be prohibited after the 7th week of pregnancy instead of the current restriction of the 9th week.

The liberal-leaning 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the state of putting the restrictions in place while the legal challenges are taking place.  North Dakota, Ohio and Texas have similar laws to Arizona.

Abortionist Planned Parenthood says that drug conducted abortions for more than 40 percent of abortions in their abortion centers.

The Arizona restrictions were put into place following the deaths of 8 women who had taken the drugs.  The FDA claims there is no connection between the drugs and the deaths.

North Dakota Court Upholds Abortion Drugs Ban

The North Dakota Supreme Court upheld a state law that limits abortion drugs.

The court reversed the ruling of a lower court judge last year that said the law violated the state constitution.

“Beginning tomorrow morning, there will not be any medication abortions in North Dakota,” said David Brown, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The North Dakota law says that no drugs can be used to induce abortions that are not approved for that use by the FDA.  The North Dakota clinic involved in the lawsuit uses misoprostol as part of their process, which is not approved by the FDA for abortions.  The drug is a treatment for stomach ulcers.

A spokeswoman for the Fargo abortionists say about 20 percent of their abortions each year are done with drugs.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem praised the court’s decision and said the state will wait to see what the abortionists do before deciding how to proceed with the case

Ten Commandments Display Ruled Constitutional

A Federal appeals court has ruled that a Ten Commandments display in North Dakota is not a violation of the Constitution.

A Ten Commandments monument was donated to the city of Fargo 50 years ago by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.  The monument was placed in the city’s Civic Plaza, which is a public space.  An anti-Christian group has been fighting against the monument since 2002 in an attempt to eliminate Christianity from being seen in public places.

Fargo’s Board of City Commissioners had initially attempted to appease the anti-Christianists by moving the monument to private land but residents objected and petitioned the city to pass an ordinance that any monument on public land that had been in place for 40 or more years could not be moved.

When the anti-Christian group sued, a lower court said that the monument presented no Constitutional violation because it showed the impact of religion on the nation’s history.  The appeals court upheld that ruling on a 2-1 decision.

“Like the Ten Commandments monument at issue in Van Orden, the Plattsmouth monument makes passive—and permissible—use of the text of the Ten Commandments to acknowledge the role of religion in our nation’s heritage,” the court ruled referring to other cases where the Ten Commandments have been allowed in public spaces.

Tornado Injures 9 At North Dakota Oil Camp

Nine people were injured, one critically, when an early morning tornado struck a North Dakota oil worker camp.

Authorities in McKenzie County, North Dakota say the tornado destroyed eight trailers where the workers lived as it roared through Watford City.  The worker who was critically injured was air evacuated to a hospital in Minot, N.D. for treatment while the others were treated at the scene.

McKenzie County Emergency Management Director Jerry Samuelson said the situation could have been significantly worse because the camp had quite a few more trailers and workers just days ago.

Witness William Bunkel said that he had just moved his truck inside because of large hail when he spotted the funnel cloud touch down in the distance.

“We saw it form,” he told Fox News, “Come out of the sky, hit the ground and go back int the clouds.”  He said the tornado was on the ground less than a minute.

NTSB Calls Oil Railcars A Public Risk

A member of the National Transportation Safety Board is calling tank railroad cars an “unacceptable public risk”.

The cars have come into the spotlight after two major accidents in the last year.

The DOT-111 cars were involved in a derailment in Casselton, North Dakota that caused a massive fire that burned more than 24 hours.  An accident involving the cars in Lac-Megantic, Quebec caused a massive explosion that killed 47 people and destroyed 30 buildings.

The NTSB has been issuing warnings about those cars and calling for their replacement or retrofitting since 1991.  Efforts to create actual tougher regulations for railcars didn’t get underway until almost 20 years later.

“Right now, there is so much uncertainty that people aren’t going to make investments in safer cars and they’re going to keep running these crummy cars and killing people,” Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon said.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad said they are not going to wait for increased regulations from the NTSB.  They put out a call for bids for 5,000 new tankers with a higher level of stability and security.

The NTSB is concerned because of how often oil cars pass through or very close to cities and towns.