Washington, D.C. December 4, 2016 – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would not grant the final permit needed to complete the Dakota Access Pipeline.
350.org co-founder Bill McKibben issued the following reaction:
“For months now, Standing Rock has been the moral center of the country. The Obama administration recognized that moral stature today; it also recognized the environmental racism implicit in this misbegotten pipeline. Such thanks to the Indigenous communities that organized so prayerfully and powerfully; we will all follow their lead and stay vigilant!”
350.org Executive Director May Boeve responded with the following statement:
“When we fight, we win. This announcement is a testament to the power of organizing and will provide a template for fossil fuel resistance across the country. The Indigenous-led resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline has mobilized millions of people who support tribal sovereignty, clean air and water, and climate justice. All of us will be ready for the fights ahead, against this pipeline, and all the fossil fuel industry projects that threaten our communities and climate.
“If Trump tries to go up against the leaders at Standing Rock he’ll just end up looking petty and small. They’ve shown what real bravery looks like–bravery that stands in stark contrast to Trump’s cowardly tweets and his toxic misogyny and racism. The fight against Dakota Access has fired up a resistance movement that is ready to take on any fossil fuel project the Trump administration tries to approve. On Dakota Access and every other pipeline: if he tries and build it, we will come.”
Indigenous Environmental Network’s Dallas Goldtooth responded with the following statement:
“This is an amazing victory for Standing Rock — but also for the many other Tribal Nations, grassroots Indigenous communities and millions of Americans around the country who have stood in solidarity with us here in person, at rallies around the country, and through phone calls and letters. This is a victory for organizing, and it doesn’t stop now. We are asking our supporters to keep up the pressure, because while President Obama has granted us a victory today, that victory isn’t guaranteed in the next administration. More threats are likely in the year to come, and we cannot stop until this pipeline is completely and utterly defeated, and our water and climate are safe.”