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Dakota Access Pipeline to win US Army permit for completion | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The US Army has informed Congress that it will grant permission to complete the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline near tribal territory. | |
The notice comes a month after Donald Trump formally backed the project in one of his first acts as US president. | |
Thousands of predominantly Native American protesters have boycotted the $3.8bn (£3bn) pipeline's construction in the state of North Dakota. | |
The Standing Rock Tribe vowed to fight the decision in court. | |
The 1,172 mile (1,886km), four-state project is almost complete except for a one-mile stretch under Lake Oahe in North Dakota, where demonstrators have set up protest encampments. | |
The Army's statement on Tuesday said: "The Department of the Army announced today that it has completed a presidential-directed review of the remaining easement request for the Dakota Access pipeline, and has notified Congress that it intends to grant an easement." | |
Easement is a special permit that allows a company to cross private land. | Easement is a special permit that allows a company to cross private land. |
Trump backs Keystone XL and Dakota Access | |
Dakota Pipeline: What's behind the controversy? | Dakota Pipeline: What's behind the controversy? |
Standing Rock Sioux lawyer Jan Hasselman said the government "will be held accountable in court". | |
But North Dakota's two US senators, both Republicans, welcomed the Army's announcement. | |
Heidi Heitkamp said the decision brought "certainty and clarity", while John Hoeven said the pipeline would serve the nation's need for new energy infrastructure. | |
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and the Center for Biological Diversity, issued statements criticising the decision. | |
They accused the Trump administration of putting corporate profits ahead of Native Americans and the environment. | |
Nearly 700 people have been arrested since protests first began last year, according to law enforcement officials. | |
Just last week 76 protesters were arrested after refusing to leave land owned by the energy company. | |
The proposed crossing point for the pipeline is upstream from the tribe's territory, raising fears that any rupture could threaten drinking water supplies. | The proposed crossing point for the pipeline is upstream from the tribe's territory, raising fears that any rupture could threaten drinking water supplies. |
The pipeline's owner, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, says the project is safe. | The pipeline's owner, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, says the project is safe. |
In September, the Obama administration announced that it would not allow the project to proceed. | In September, the Obama administration announced that it would not allow the project to proceed. |