Then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell looks into a canyon at Gemini Bridges near Moab, Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP)Former interior secretary Sally Jewell said in an interview Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers was “reneging” on its commitment to other federal agencies and tribal leaders to conduct a thorough environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline before granting an easement to the project’s sponsor. On Tuesday, Army officials said in court filings that they would grant the final federal permit that the pipeline’s sponsor, Energy Transfer Partners, needs to complete the 1,170-mile project. [Trump administration to approve final permit for Dakota Access pipeline]Jewell said the Corps failed to adequately consult with leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, whose reservation abuts the proposed route, early on in the process. “That has not been done in this case.”Army officials could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

Source: Washington Post February 08, 2017 16:09 UTC