Trump Seeks To Sign Order To Advance DAPL Construction
President Donald Trump is already screwing things up. After a triumphant effort by protesters to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the sacred land of Standing Rock Sioux tribe, Trump will reportedly sign the order to continue the project on Tuesday (Jan. 24), according to NBC News.
“We are going to renegotiate some of the terms. And if they like, we will see if we can get that pipeline built,” Trump noted during a press meeting in the Oval Office. He also told reporters that if the pipeline is built in the U.S., it must be built with domestically made material. His executive order on the pipeline completes a total of five orders he signed in regards to environmental issues.
READ: Obama Administration Provides Update On The Fate Of DAPL
Former President Barack Obama initially stopped the construction of the oil pipeline in Dec. 2016, declaring it to be a threat to global climate change and other environmental concerns. As many members of Standing Rock and its supporters noted, the pipeline, which would carry oil from North Dakota to South Dakota and Iowa, was believed to be a direct threat to the tribe’s water supply. Despite testimony from the pipeline contractors, Energy Transfer Partner that stated the project would be safe, the tribe alleged if it were to leak, it would destroy their sacred grounds.
In just a matter of four days, Trump has already set the tone for what the next four years will look like. On Monday, the president signed an anti-abortion executive order that has extensive consequences for women’s reproductive rights and health care access. Additionally, he signed an order withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal as well as set in motion a plan to repeal Obamacare.
READ: Indigenous Protesters Are Fighting For All Their Land
As for the Dakota Access Pipeline, hundreds of protesters gathered on the land from Oct. 2016 until Dec. 2016, in order to take a stand against the pipeline’s construction. Naturally, Trump’s actions have reignited outrage. Annie Leonard, executive director of environmental organization Greenpeace, released a statement, pledging to continue to fight for the people of Standing Rock. “We will resist this with all of our power, and we will continue to build the future the world wants to see,” she stated.
