The US Army Corps of Engineers finalized an easement for a stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline that passes under a North Dakota lake, ending a years-long environmental review of the hotly contested oil conduit.
The record of decision issued Thursday followed the US Army Corps’ December publication of an environmental impact statement that evaluated whether the pipeline could continue operating beneath Lake Oahe.
Thursday’s result includes additional conditions including enhanced leak detection and monitoring requirements, according to a statement.
The Dakota Access conduit began operating in 2017 and transports as much as 750,000 barrels of oil daily from North Dakota’s Bakken field to a southern Illinois hub that feeds into pipelines serving the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The project has faced years of legal and political challenges centered on the Lake Oahe crossing.
The agency said the new conditions are intended to further reduce risks to Lake Oahe, the Missouri River and surrounding communities.
“We are so pleased with today’s announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers on the issuance of the Record of Decision for the Dakota Access Pipeline’s crossing of Lake Oahe,” Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for pipeline operator Energy Transfer LP, wrote in an email. “The Dakota Access pipeline has been safely operating for nearly 10 years and is a critical piece of our country’s energy infrastructure.”
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