Dakota pipeline re-routed

By ANDREW AVERY 

The Mirror reporter

 About five months ago protests started at the Standing Rock site in North Dakota and South Dakota because of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The Standing Rock Sioux, Native Americans, and other tribes are the leaders of this protest. People from around the country have also made efforts to protest the DAPL by attending the protest or using the hashtag #NoDAPL.

Vic Akemann from the SPASH Science department attended and stood by the side of thousands of protesters.

The protest started because they believed the DAPL will destroy the areas land and ruin the water supply. If the DAPL project was completed, about 575,000 barrels of oil would be transported a day and a small oil spill could contaminate their water supply for decades.

On Monday, Dec. 5 it was announced that the pipeline will be rerouted. As it was a big victory for the Native Americans. They are still concerned that plans may change with the new presidential administration in 2017.

It is also believed that more threats are to come within the year. Even though Native Americans claimed this victory they are still fighting and protesting for the future. They have stated they will not stop protests until it is completely guaranteed that there will be no hazardous pipeline going through their land.

The Army Corps of Engineers hasn’t announced the details of the pipeline, so that is also why protesters believe that The Army Corps of Engineers have something planned to get the DAPL through the Standing Rock site.

Many government officials voiced their point of view about the decision to re-route the pipeline. Senator Bernie Sanders praised President Barrack Obama for making the decision and standing with the Native Americans. “In the year 2016, we should not continue to trample on Native American sovereignty. We should not endanger the water supply of millions of people,” Sanders said, as reported in CNN.

House Speaker Paul Ryan claims the pipeline should be built and that denying it is a “big-government decision-making at its worst.”