Just yesterday, the Army sided with the radical left’s out-of-touch stance on DAPL by agreeing to reroute the much-needed pipeline.
This decision was irrational, politically-motivated, and harmful to thousands of families whose lives could be improved by the project’s supply of jobs and the generation of tax revenue for struggling communities.
Over 7 years and millions of dollars were spent consulting with tribes and other stakeholders, getting approval from environmental bureaucracies, and coordinating with the governments of the four states involved in the current route. It took negotiating with local and federal officials on every level, working painstakingly with the Army Corp of Engineers, and the Department of Interior to identify the safest, most environmentally friendly route available. It involved developing and reviewing more than 1,200 pages of environmental and cultural analysis, consulting with 55 Native American tribes nearly 400 times, and successfully defending its route not once, but twice.
By the Army Corp of Engineers’ review and admission, Dakota Access did everything right–every permit was approved and every hoop had been jumped through. And now they are going against their own words to reject the final easement of this project? It makes no sense.
This is the work of political activists hellbent on preventing American energy independence. And this decision only serves to benefit elite environmental lawyers and bureaucrats while American families struggle.
Rejecting and delaying DAPL is not only an insult to the thousands of struggling families who could be employed by the pipeline, or to the hundreds of people who have worked to comply with the burdensome regulations, or the four state governments who approved the route, it is an insult to the rule of law.
Though it seems DAPL may have lost this round, the Pipeline still has a chance with President-elect Trump.
Once in office, President Trump will have the authority to push through the Dakota route as it stands by approving the final easement.
With a bold new plan for infrastructure and a desire to get America back to work, it would be a great move for the President to get the ball rolling by approving a project that does just that.
In addition to creating tens of thousands of much-needed jobs, the project would also generate an estimated $50 million in revenue from income and sales taxes during construction and the pipeline will continue to generate an estimated $124 million annually in property and sales taxes.
This is game-changing revenue for the struggling economy, with an offset bigger than any tax-credit or stimulus Congress would come up with.
And on top of that, it would prove to the American people that the days of pandering to liberal elitists and environmental radicals who fail to comply with the law are OVER.
This decision to reroute could be overturned in only a little more than a month when Trump takes office. As long as the President-elect makes it priority number one.
