Authorities say no plans to forcibly
remove North Dakota protesters
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[November 28, 2016]
(Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on
Sunday they had no plans to forcibly remove activists protesting plans
to run an oil pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux
reservation in North Dakota, despite telling them to leave by early
December.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the federal land where
the main camp protesting the Dakota Access pipeline is located, said
last week it would close public access to the area north of the
Cannonball River on Dec. 5
On Sunday, the agency said in a statement that it had "no plans for
forcible removal" of protesters. The statement said anyone who remained
would be considered unauthorized and could be subject to various
citations. It also said emergency services might not be adequately
provided to the area.
"The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking a peaceful and orderly
transition to a safer location," the statement said. "This will reduce
the risk of harm to people in the encampments caused (by) the harsh
North Dakota winter conditions."
A representative for the agency could not be immediately reached on
Sunday to provide further clarification on its plans.
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Organizers told a news conference on Saturday at the main protest site
where about 5,000 people are camped that they had no intention of
moving.
There are smaller camps on land not subject to the planned restrictions,
including an area south of the Cannonball River where the Corps said it
was establishing a free-speech zone.
Demonstrators have protested for months against the $3.8 billion Dakota
Access Pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners LP, saying it poses a
threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.
The companies say the pipeline would carry Bakken shale oil more cheaply
and safely from North Dakota to Illinois en route to U.S. Gulf Coast
refineries.
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![](../images/112816pics/news_b5.jpg)
Women hold a prayer ceremony on Backwater Bridge during a protest
against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing
Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S.
November 27, 2016. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith
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The 1,172-mile (1,885-km) project is mostly complete except for the
segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, less than half a mile (0.8
km) north of Standing Rock.
The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of a
permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended
to give federal officials more time to consult with tribal leaders.
The delay also led to escalating tensions over the project.
Last weekend, police used water hoses in subfreezing weather in an
attempt to disperse about 400 activists near the proposed tunnel
excavation site.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Peter
Cooneyand Peter Cooney)
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