The acting secretary of the U.S. army has directed the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with an easement necessary to complete the Dakota Access pipeline, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said Tuesday. Hoeven issued a statement late in the evening after he said acting army secretary Robert Speer informed him of the decision. Hoeven's spokesman Don Canton says that Speer's move means the easement "isn't quite issued yet, but they plan to approve it" within days. U.S. President Donald Trump called on the Army Corps of Engineers last week to reconsider its December decision to withhold permission until more study is done on the crossing. "The Army Corps lacks statutory authority to simply stop the EIS," they said in a statement.

Source: CBC News February 01, 2017 02:48 UTC