Biden administration will not shut down Dakota Access Pipeline during environmental review, DOJ lawyer tells court

The Biden administration will not shut down the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline while an environmental review is conducted, a blow to the environmental and tribal groups that have rallied against the project for years.

Government attorney Ben Schifman told a federal judge on Friday that the Army Corps of Engineers, which handles permits for the pipeline, "is essentially in a continuous process of evaluating" and gathering information. An attorney representing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which has been challenging the pipeline, said he is "deeply disappointed." "The company gets to keep the benefits of operating the pipeline that was never properly authorized while the community has to bear the risks," said attorney Jan Hasselman. "It's not right. It's a continuation of a terrible history."