The US Government Must Permanently Halt the Dakota Access Pipeline

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Facebook Page

01 November 16

he U.S. government must permanently halt the Dakota Access Pipeline. Now. The Army Corps of Engineers never did a proper review of its environmental impact, nor did it adequately consulted with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.

Not only does pipeline go through tribal burial grounds, but if the pipeline were to leak or burst it would send oil deep into the Missouri River, the Standing Rock Sioux's single source of water for everything from bathing to drinking.

Since 1995, more than 2,000 significant accidents involving oil and petroleum pipelines have occurred, adding up to roughly $3 billion in property damage, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. From 2013 to 2015, an average of 121 accidents have occurred each year.

The negative impacts on health have been severe. An in-depth 2010 report from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which looked at the effects of three major oil spills, found increased incidences of cancer and digestive problems in people who had either ingested the oil directly in drinking water or indirectly through eating the meat of livestock exposed to the oil. In addition, people who had used contaminated water for bathing or laundry appeared to experience a higher incidence of skin problems, ranging from mild rashes to severe and lasting eczema and malignant skin cancers.

The Obama administration must take action immediately to stop this devastation.

What do you think?