Energy Transfer, Sunoco: Dakota Access Pipeline Delay Purely Political Action

(RTTNews) - Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (SXL), in their response to a statement from the Department of the Army, announced that the Administration's decision not to issue an "easement" to Dakota Access Pipeline at this time is a purely political action.

The Administration stated that it has made a "policy decision", which is Washington code for a political decision, the companies noted.

"This is nothing new from this Administration, since over the last four months the Administration has demonstrated by its action and inaction that it intended to delay a decision in this matter until President Obama is out of office," the companies said in their joined statement.

For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done nothing but play by the rules, which the Army Corps of Engineers agrees, and has said so publicly and in federal court filings, the firms noted. The Corps' review process and its decisions have been ratified by two federal courts.

The Army Corps confirmed in its statement that its policy decision does not alter the Army's position that the Corps' prior reviews and actions have comported with legal requirements.

The Army Corps now seeks to engage in additional review and analysis of alternative locations for the pipeline. This is in spite of consistently stating at every turn that the permit for the crossing of the Missouri River at Lake Oahe granted in July 2016, comported with all legal requirements, including the use of an environmental assessment, rather than an environmental impact statement

According to the companies, the White House's latest directive to the Corps for further delay is just the latest in a series of overt and transparent political actions by an administration which has abandoned the rule of law in favor of currying favor with a narrow and extreme political constituency.

ETP and SXL said they are fully committed to ensuring that this vital project is brought to completion and fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe.