North Dakota still hoping to secure taxpayer funds for #NoDAPL response

Friday, July 14, 2017  

Officials in North Dakota are still hoping to secure federal funds to pay for their response to the #NoDAPL movement.

Up to $10 million is anticipated from the Department of Justice, a spokesperson for Gov. Doug Burgum (R) told the Associated Press. The grant request was made possible by an obscure provision in a 1,665-page federal funding bill that allows states -- but not tribes -- to seek "emergency" assistance for law enforcement crises.

Burgum also asked President Donald Trump, who signed H.R.244, the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law on May 5, for a disaster declaration in hopes of covering the costs of the law enforcement effort. The request was denied in May but his office didn't disclose the decision until this week, when reporters in North Dakota asked about it.

The wealthy backers of the Dakota Access Pipeline have offered to pay for some of the costs, the AP reported. The state claims it spent $37 million responding to opposition to the project from the latter half of 2016 through early 2017.

Oil started flowing through the pipeline on June 1 after Trump approved the final portion of the project in North Dakota. A federal judge said the approval was inappropriate because it did not address concerns raised by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and other opponents.

Thanks to energy development, North Dakota has taken in $3.25 billion in taxes since 2014, according to an industry group. Yet the state said it had to borrow money to address the #NoDAPL movement.

Read More on the Story:
Trump denies disaster declaration for Dakota Access pipeline (AP 7/13)
Dakota Access Pipeline developer says offer to help with law enforcement costs is still on the table (The Grand Forks Herald 7/13)
N.D. still on the hook for DAPL protest costs (KFYR 7/13)

YES! Magazine: Native activists continue to pressure banks on pipelines (July 10, 2017)
Albert Bender: Judge waited for oil to flow through Dakota Access Pipeline (July 6, 2017)
Dakota Access still fighting small fine for disturbance of tribal artifacts (July 5, 2017)
Officials in North Dakota claim ignorance on Dakota Access security firm (June 29, 2017)
Dakota Access security firm was denied license but kept working anyway (June 28, 2017)
Tribes in for long haul as oil continues to flow through Dakota Access Pipeline (June 23, 2017)
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe welcomes 'victory' in Dakota Access Pipeline case (June 16, 2017)
Mark Trahant: Dakota Access decision offers a chance to return to respect (June 16, 2017)
Jacqueline Keeler: Connecting the Dakota Access Pipeline to history (June 15, 2017)
Indian Country celebrates as judge orders environmental review of Dakota Access Pipeline (June 15, 2017)
Albert Bender: Judge drags his feet in Dakota Access Pipeline case (June 12, 2017)
Dakota Access faces fines for disturbing artifacts in North Dakota (June 8, 2017)
President Trump put wealthy firm first in approving Dakota Access Pipeline (June 7, 2017)