The beginning of August 2016, a national issue occurred in a remote corner of North Dakota over the construction of a new 1,200-mile pipeline across Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. It is a great fear to the tribe in the Standing Rock Reservation that if the pipeline is to be built in this location near Missouri river a leak is probable. If an oil spill were to happen, it will not only destroy the water supply for Standing Rock Reservation but it would also destroy 50% of South Dakota’s potable water supply. The risk is too profound for the sake of all the members of this community and the surrounding environment. It is important to me for these people to get the chance to have a voice on this crucial matter because it is happening in own their homes and I am disgusted.
Although the company Dakota Access may argue that this pipeline will do more good than bad, it is estimated that there will be a $156 million in sales and will add 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs. Yet that still does not beat the fact that if the pipeline were to break more people would be left without potable water and that is a vital necessity to the Standing Rock Reservation. I believe that everyone should have the right to stop the destruction and protest for what they believe in.
A 3.7 billion dollar project with the oil potential estimated to have 7.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil. It is clear in this case that developers are looking for a profitable outcome rather than focusing on the environmental impact it will have on the land. The pipeline stretches over four states, a 1,172-mile span through North/South Dakota and Iowa; right under the Missouri river. Although developers are offering $16,072 for 1 acre in the Sioux area, that amount is not worth the true value of these lands. Many of the surrounding landowners have begun petitions stating that “The Dakota Access pipeline would fuel climate change, cause untold damage to the environment, and significantly disturb sacred lands and the way of life for Native Americans in the upper Midwest” (What’s at Stake?). A retired State Coordinator of Iowa’s Wildlife Diversity Program, Douglas Harr, revealed that “There are significant natural areas, wildlife habitat and water resources along the pipeline route that will not be surveyed nor will the impacts be determined because the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not be evaluating most of the pipeline route” (Bakken Pipeline). Meaning the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will most likely not require an environmental impact study. Which will overall lead to harm of wildlife and sensitive natural areas in the designated route.
One of the biggest concerns from this project is the potential problem of water contamination. In the past “Oil leaks or spills can have disastrous impacts on water, land and the species and people that depend on them” said Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley, a scientist. It is also a big job “Cleaning up leaks and spills can also take an incredible amount of resources and time; rarely fully restoring what was lost from a system. Leaks or spills into environments, like the Missouri River, can have horrible consequences beyond the direct sight of the leak or spill” (Conservation Biology). An oil spill along the proposed pipeline route near the Missouri River could create a terrible outcome on “…Rare freshwater fauna, including the Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), which is federally listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), which is currently listed as vulnerable by
the International Union for the Conservation of Nature” (Conservation Biology). Water is the “first medicine; it sustains us in our mother’s womb” says Spotted Eagle, a member of the Sioux tribe. Not only is it a vital necessity to survive but it is also used in ceremonies to clean a spirit when it is “bleeding” by calming a person and restoring balance. Water is essential to Standing Rock Reservation. It’s not just the water at stake now, but the life of all the communities.
Communities have had a difficult time dealing with Access, with constant violence for protecting their sacred lands. The Standing Rock Reservation, a tribe of 10,000 will be affected the most from the pipeline construction. With the construction of this pipeline, it runs the risk of an irruption, that would evidently pollute surrounding streams, rivers, and lakes. Causing “Tragic accidents affecting lives and personal property in the communities along the pipeline” (Bakken Pipeline). The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe main concern is about how the construction of Dakota Access Pipeline that would pass under the Missouri River (at Lake Oahe), which is located a half mile upstream of the reservation boundary. Indeed, “Potential spills from the pipeline could impact the drinking water of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, as well as thousands of others downstream who rely on the river for drinking water and irrigation” (Conservation Biology). Another main concern for Standing Rock Reservation members is how the pipeline will cross over sacred burial sites. Standing Rock Sioux chairman David Archambault says “This demolition is devastating” and “These grounds are the resting places of our ancestors. The ancient cairns and stone prayer rings there cannot be replaced. In one day, our sacred land has been turned into the hollow ground” (Associated Press FOX). It is not worth jeopardizing not only the environment but the sacred burial sites of their ancestors.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, which is a part of building the pipeline, states that it would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create up to 12,000 local jobs, and generate $129 million in property and income taxes annually during construction. Yet, indigenous people and the people who live in the areas where the pipeline will affect. The pipeline will do more bad than good and the risks are inevitable. The only way to prevent all these risks is not to stop the pipeline