In a shocking decision, the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would deny a permit requested by Energy Transfer Partners to build a segment of pipeline under the Missouri River in North Dakota. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other Native Americans, and hundreds of other "protesters" are elated, at least temporarily.
I call this decision shocking because normally Big Oil, Big Nuclear Energy, or Big whatever wins these kind of things hands down. For example, no matter how loud the protest, no matter how damning the scientific evidence, Big (Nuclear) Business prevailed in Andrews County, West Texas, when the late billionaire Howard Simmons ramrodded a nuclear waste storage facility down the collective throat of most of Texas. State scientists found that the location of this facility was questionable and that it was quite likely that radioactive wastes would leak into the local aquifer. But the project went ahead as scheduled.
In contrast, the Army Corps of Engineers has defied Big Oil, at least for the moment, and ruled in favor of the Standing Rock Sioux. This ruling is shocking in another aspect as well. The United States has a well-documented history of ignoring the treaties made with the various Native American tribes, starting all the way back in the years following the American Revolution. If one takes the time to do even rudimentary research on this subject, one finds that easily over two hundred-fifty treaties have been signed and later ignored by the US government, by "settlers," or by Big Business of one kind or another. So it is a great surprise to me that the US Army of Engineers has come to the aid of the Sioux in this case.
What about the company called Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the builders of the pipeline? This (unfortunately) Texas-based partnership wanted to save a few (million) bucks by running a segment of the Dakota Access Pipeline UNDER the Missouri River. Not only that, but ETP is in the process of destroying Native American territory in order to access Lake Oahe, the point on the Missouri where ETP wants to bury the pipeline under the river. The Sioux are actually looking out for all Americans in their opposition of this pipeline. Can you imagine the catastrophe that WILL happen (not MIGHT) when the Dakota Access Pipeline either begins to leak or suffers a major break? Let me state the obvious. What will happen is that the drinking water for everyone downstream from Lake Oahe will be contaminated when the break happens. And never mind the other catastrophe the Sioux were facing, the further and continued violation of their sovereign land in the interest of Big Oil.
The Standing Rock Sioux have won a small victory today, but there is still a war to win. I have been so proud of the American people (at least many of them) who have supported the Sioux in this latest attempt to deprive them of the sovereignty to their land. Many Americans traveled to North Dakota to stand with the Sioux. Many others shared their financial and other resources, or just their thoughts and prayers. This outpouring of support was almost as shocking as the Corps' decision. I firmly hope that this decision will stand in the long term. ETP can certainly afford to reroute the pipeline along a less environmentally risky route. Actually ETP never considered an alternate route, so sure were they that Big Oil would prevail over the rights of a few "Indians" and the health and safety of millions of persons who depend on the Missouri River for water.
I hope that this wisdom continues to prevail, that the pipeline is rerouted...
And may God Bless America.
I call this decision shocking because normally Big Oil, Big Nuclear Energy, or Big whatever wins these kind of things hands down. For example, no matter how loud the protest, no matter how damning the scientific evidence, Big (Nuclear) Business prevailed in Andrews County, West Texas, when the late billionaire Howard Simmons ramrodded a nuclear waste storage facility down the collective throat of most of Texas. State scientists found that the location of this facility was questionable and that it was quite likely that radioactive wastes would leak into the local aquifer. But the project went ahead as scheduled.
In contrast, the Army Corps of Engineers has defied Big Oil, at least for the moment, and ruled in favor of the Standing Rock Sioux. This ruling is shocking in another aspect as well. The United States has a well-documented history of ignoring the treaties made with the various Native American tribes, starting all the way back in the years following the American Revolution. If one takes the time to do even rudimentary research on this subject, one finds that easily over two hundred-fifty treaties have been signed and later ignored by the US government, by "settlers," or by Big Business of one kind or another. So it is a great surprise to me that the US Army of Engineers has come to the aid of the Sioux in this case.
What about the company called Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the builders of the pipeline? This (unfortunately) Texas-based partnership wanted to save a few (million) bucks by running a segment of the Dakota Access Pipeline UNDER the Missouri River. Not only that, but ETP is in the process of destroying Native American territory in order to access Lake Oahe, the point on the Missouri where ETP wants to bury the pipeline under the river. The Sioux are actually looking out for all Americans in their opposition of this pipeline. Can you imagine the catastrophe that WILL happen (not MIGHT) when the Dakota Access Pipeline either begins to leak or suffers a major break? Let me state the obvious. What will happen is that the drinking water for everyone downstream from Lake Oahe will be contaminated when the break happens. And never mind the other catastrophe the Sioux were facing, the further and continued violation of their sovereign land in the interest of Big Oil.
The Standing Rock Sioux have won a small victory today, but there is still a war to win. I have been so proud of the American people (at least many of them) who have supported the Sioux in this latest attempt to deprive them of the sovereignty to their land. Many Americans traveled to North Dakota to stand with the Sioux. Many others shared their financial and other resources, or just their thoughts and prayers. This outpouring of support was almost as shocking as the Corps' decision. I firmly hope that this decision will stand in the long term. ETP can certainly afford to reroute the pipeline along a less environmentally risky route. Actually ETP never considered an alternate route, so sure were they that Big Oil would prevail over the rights of a few "Indians" and the health and safety of millions of persons who depend on the Missouri River for water.
I hope that this wisdom continues to prevail, that the pipeline is rerouted...
And may God Bless America.
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