[ars]

The review is pointless anyway, it's just useless stalling.

They already built 1,171 miles of it - do you think an environmental review is going to make a difference for the last 1 mile?

It doesn't matter if you are for or against this, the time to protest it was before they built it, not when it's basically done.

[_delirium]

The tribes' position, at least (not necessarily the position of everyone else opposing it) is that it should be rerouted so it isn't tunneled directly under Lake Oahe, their main water source. That's not inconsistent with completing it, since tunneling under the lake isn't the only possible route. Though the pipeline owner would prefer not to reroute it.

That was also the basis for the Army Corps of Engineers ordering a more extensive environmental review. My understanding is the review wasn't to determine whether the pipeline would be built at all (that question isn't even in their jurisdiction), but 1) to evaluate whether the proposed route under Lake Oahe, which requires an easement to be granted beneath a reservoir they're responsible for, is a suitable option, and 2) if yes, to determine whether conditions should be placed on the easement to minimize the likelihood and/or impact of a spill. Their press release at the time is here: http://www.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/News-Release-A...

[masonic]

  That was also the basis for the Army Corps of Engineers ordering a more extensive environmental review. 

No, that was a purely political decision that gave absolutely no indication of specific deficiencies in the original EIR, nor did it spell out any specific requirements for a "new" EIR.

[KirinDave]

Argument from final consequence aside, much of that work was was ongoing before the legality AND environmental impact was fully realized, on the expectation that the locals did not have the resources to fight its construction.

Even if the pipeline is ultimately established, winning damages for the local people would help them relocate away from resources tainted by the previous pipeline (who's legality is also very questionable).

[spraak]

It's been protested the entire time, just only recently receiving attention