The US Department of Justice and Department of the Interior ordered a temporary halt on construction of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline on Friday afternoon, just hours after a federal judge had rejected attempts to end the project.
US federal judge, James E. Boasberg, had initially ruled against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request for an injunction against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The ruling read that the court “concludes that the Corps [United States Army Corps of Engineers] has likely complied with the NHPA [National Historic Preservation Act] and that the Tribe has not shown it will suffer injury that would be prevented by any injunction the Court could issue”.
However just hours later, US authorities called for a pause in work going forward to review earlier decisions pertaining to the land, in order to ensure that it falls in accordance with the NHPA and other laws.
Indigenous communities have been protesting the construction of the fracked-oil pipeline on environmental and spiritual grounds.
“Our hearts are full. This an historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and for tribes across the nation,” said Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II in a statement. “Today, three federal agencies announced the significant decision to respect tribal sovereignty and stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on Army Corps land."
“The Obama administration has asked tribes to the table to make sure that we have meaningful consultation on infrastructure projects,” he continued. “Native peoples have suffered generations of broken promises and today the federal government said that national reform is needed to better ensure that tribes have a voice on infrastructure projects like this pipeline.”
However, he also noted that the struggle to ensure a permanent closure of the project had not yet ended. “Let us remain in peace and solidarity as we work to permanently protect our water,” he concluded.