Dakota Access Pipeline Will Be Open In A Few Months, Spokeswoman Says

Construction has begun on the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will be operational with a few months, according to a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners.

The Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux, along with other activists, have opposed the controversial project and long fought to prevent it. The Army Corps of Engineers dashed those hopes Wednesday when it formally gave the construction company an easement to begin work, though the Cheyenne River Sioux have filed a lawsuit in opposition.

"The estimate is 60 days to complete the drill and another 23 days to fill the line to Patoka," Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners, told the AP.

According to the tribe's lawsuit, the pipeline "will desecrate the waters upon which Cheyenne River Sioux tribal members rely.” These concerns, as well as worries about the broader environmental impact, delayed construction of the pipeline for months as protesters blocked building attempts.

President Obama's administration had delayed the pipeline's construction, which was pushed forward again when President Trump took office.

Photo credit: Carl Wycoff