Hoeven Statement on Appellate Court's Decision to Allow Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline to Continue

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after an appellate court issued a decision upholding U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg’s ruling that construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline project can continue:

“Today’s decision by a three judge appellate panel reaffirms Judge Boasberg’s ruling that the proper process was followed and construction can continue on the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Obama administration and the Army Corps of Engineers now need to work to help bring the pipeline to completion. We will continue to press the administration to provide more help to local law enforcement and to ensure that any ongoing protests are within the law. We are also working to secure funding to help the state bring in additional law enforcement resources through EMAC, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, so that people living in the region feel safe and their private property rights are protected.

“The larger issue here is that energy infrastructure is vital to our country’s economy and national security, and it can be built safely. In fact, the project will be built on an existing easement that includes a natural gas pipeline and high voltage electrical transmission line. Industry needs legal and regulatory certainty to make the kinds of enormous investments required to build it. Pipelines, transmission lines, rail and roads are all necessary to safely transport both the renewable and traditional energy our country needs.”

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