Are those war drums we hear beating? Perhaps! If you are involved in the oil and gas industry in just about any capacity, it’s hard to miss the story of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the paid criminal protesters who are trying to stop it (see Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Turn Violent; Coming Here Next?). Supposedly the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is opposed to DAPL because it will cross ancient burial grounds. While we don’t know if that’s true or not, we do know one fact not reported in mainstream media: the pipeline does not cross one inch of tribal lands. The project is almost done being built, with a small section remaining. Tensions are escalating as Big Green groups are paying “protesters” to trespass on private and public land in an effort to stop construction. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in charge of authorizing the project as it crosses public land in the area, has badly bungled their role (see Army Corps of Engineers Turns Political in Dakota Access Fight). The lessons of DAPL and the Army Corps’ bungling are not lost on other government agencies, like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Dominion’s $5 billion, 594-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)–a natural gas pipeline that will stretch from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina–is now coming under scrutiny by FERC for any impacts it may have on Indian (whoops, “Native American”) land it may cross. FERC has put out a call for a copy of all “tribal communications” the ACP project has had, no doubt in an effort to avoid another DAPL situation here…
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