The Dakota Access pipeline must shut down by Aug. 5, a district court ruled Monday in a stunning defeat for the Trump administration and the oil industry. We at SOIL are so grateful for the continued efforts of every individual and organization to fight the continued expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and the trampling of… More DAPL Easement under Lake Oahe vacated; shut down ordered!
As oil prices struggle to rebound and crude oil inventories are high, Energy Transfer, owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline, is invoking ‘force majeure’ to prevent shippers from defaulting on contracts to ship through the expanded Dakota Access Pipeline. The force majeure clause in shipper contracts provides a temporary reprieve to Dakota Access from performing… More DAPL Expansion No Longer Needed
On June 4, SOIL was party to a motion asking ICC Commissioner Michael T. Carrigan to recuse himself from the Dakota Access expansion case, citing his career within the AFL-CIO as indicating that his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. He has denied our motion to recuse.
After years of delay Dominion Energy and Duke Energy are canceling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Any further delays would drive the price tag even higher, threatening the economic viability of the project. Here in Illinois, SOIL and our allies have delayed the proposed expansion of the Dakota Access Pipeline by one year and counting.
A sculpture of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is now featured at Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren’s golf course. The sculpture took a somewhat circuitous route, having been purchased by a Texas real estate attorney for $1.4 million and then donated to the golf course.
On Wednesday, June 17th Rising Tide Chicago is organizing a digital action to show the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that a doubling of the Dakota Access Pipeline in Illinois is not supported by people that live here. In this digital action, you’ll use your social media tools to tell the ICC to reject the proposal… More Rising Tide Chicago Digital Day of Action
The Voluntary Partnership for Distressed Communities Act would push struggling and underfunded water systems to be sold or leased to private companies. Over 500 publicly owned water systems across the country have serious violations to drinking water quality standards. But instead of providing financial support to fix these water systems, this bill would allow water… More Reject Voluntary Partnership for Distressed Communities Act
In our previous newsletter, we alerted you to the continuing efforts to resist the Line 3 ‘replacement’ project in Minnesota. MN’s own Department of Commerce requested a review of the MN Public Utilities Commission’s approval of the Certificate of Need, citing the fact that Enbridge submitted a pipeline utilization forecast rather than the required long-range… More Line 3 comment period extended to Nov 14
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has strenuously resisted considering environmental externalities (think pollution and climate change) when they consider the necessity and convenience of new pipelines. On a couple of occasions, the DC Court of Appeals has insisted that they consider externalities, but they have always interpreted the court’s requirements in the narrowest possible… More FERC v DC Appeals Court
The EPA has issued a rule that narrows the scope of reviews allowed to states when considering whether to grant pipeline permits. States are now limited to water quality issues only – not climate change or any other issues, and must complete their reviews within one year. You can read more about this rule change… More States Lose Veto Rights on Pipelines