Boasberg in June 2017 ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers “largely complied” with environmental law when permitting the $3.8 billion pipeline, but he ordered more study on tribal impacts. The Corps in August 2018 said more than a year of study had substantiated its earlier determination that the pipeline doesn’t pose a higher risk of adverse impacts to minorities. The agency last month turned over to the tribes documents it used in making that determination. The Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, Yankton and Oglala Sioux are challenging the Corps assertion and accused the agency of withholding about 50 documents . They argue that the missing documents could bolster their case and possibly influence the judge’s eventual decision on whether the Corps study is adequate.

Source: National Post March 12, 2019 19:18 UTC