IndigenousEnvironmentalNetwork*SierraClub*HonortheEarth*

BoldAlliance*RainforestActionNetwork*350.org*OilChangeInternational*
CenterforBiologicalDiversity*GreatOldBroadsforWilderness*
FoxValleyCitizensforPeaceandJustice*350Madison*Stand.earth*
FamilyFarmDefenders*FoodandWaterWatch*SaveOurIllinoisLand*
PowershiftNetwork*MN350*RisingTideNorthAmerica*
MinnesotaPublicInterestResearchGroup*MidwestEnvironmentalAdvocates*
ForLoveofWater*Greenpeace*WildEarthGuardians*
FriendsoftheEarth*InternationalForumonGlobalization*USClimatePlan*
IowaCitizensforCommunityImprovement*Earthworks*EnvironmentAmerica*
ScienceandEnvironmentalHealthNetwork*WaterkeeperAlliance*

August25,2016

PresidentObama
TheWhiteHouse
1600PennsylvaniaAvenue,NW
Washington,DC20500

Subject:HaltConstructionandRepealtheArmyCorpsofEngineersPermitsforthe
DakotaAccessPipelineProject

DearPresidentObama:

WewritetoyoubecausewearedeeplyconcernedbytheArmyCorpsofEngineersapprovalof
DakotaAccessLLCsconstructionoftheDakotaAccessPipeline,theimpactsofwhichhave
beenhighlightedbythegrowingpublicoppositiontothisproject.TheDakotaAccessPipeline
projectwouldextend1,168milesacrossNorthDakota,SouthDakota,Iowa,andIllinois,
crossingthroughcommunities,farms,triballand,sensitivenaturalareasandwildlifehabitat.
Thismassivecrudeoilpipelinethatwouldcarry450,000barrelsoffrackedoilperday
fromtheBakkenoilfieldsinNorthDakotatoIllinoiswhereitwilllinkwithanotherpipelinethat
willtransporttheoiltoterminalsandrefineriesalongtheGulfofMexico.

ThispipelinewouldtravelthroughtheStandingRockSiouxTribesancestrallandsandpass
withinhalfamileofitscurrentreservation.Overthepastseveralweeks,themounting
oppositiontothepipelinehasgrownexponentially,captivatingbothactivistsaroundthecountry
andthemedia,whileunitingandmobilizingNativeAmericantribesacrossthecountryinan
unprecedentedmanner.

NotonlywouldtheDakotaAccessPipelinethreatensacredsitesandculturallyimportant
landscapes,itwouldalsocrossundertheMissouriRiverjustupstreamoftheTribesdrinking
watersupply.Ifthereweretobeaspillwhichhistoryhastaughtusisnotaquestionof

ifbut

whenitwouldconstituteanexistentialthreattotheTribescultureandwayoflife.The
pipelineposessignificantthreatstotheenvironment,publichealth,andtribalandhumanrights.

Giventhat,theStandingRockSiouxTribehasfiledalawsuitandarequestforapreliminary
injunctiontoblockconstructionofthepipeline.Thecomplaint,filedinfederalcourtin
WashingtonD.C.byEarthjustice,arguesthattheArmyCorpsofEngineersisviolatingthe
NationalHistoricPreservationActbyfailingtoaddresstheTribesconcernsaboutthepipelines
impacttosacredsitesandculturallyimportantlandscapes,andthattherivercrossingpermits
mustbesubjecttoreviewundertheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct.

ThepermitsfortheDakotaAccessPipelineproject(DAPL)weregrantedusingtheArmyCorps
NationwidePermit12,afasttrackpermittingprocessthathasallowedtheoilandgasindustryto
buildnumerousfossilfuelpipelinesacrossthecountry,evenonprivateproperty,withoutany
projectspecificenvironmentalrevieworpublicinputprocess.

AfteryearsofpipelinedisastersfromthemassivetarsandsoilspillinKalamazoo,Michiganin
2010,totherecentoilpipelinespillsintheSanJoaquinValleyandVentura,CAour
organizationsandourmillionsofmembersandsupportersareconcernedaboutthethreatthese
projectsposetooursafety,ourhealth,andtheenvironment.

DAPLisyetanotherexampleofanoilpipelineprojectbeingpermittedwithoutadequatepublic
engagementorsufficientenvironmentalreviewsegmentingaprojectunderNationwide
Permit12allowstheCorpstoconsiderasingleoilorgaspipelineasthousandsofsingleand
completeprojects,avoidingtheenvironmentalreviewandpublicinputrequiredbytheClean
WaterActandtheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct.DAPLisamajorprojectthatshouldhave
requiredmorethoroughreviewandanalysisundertheCleanWaterActandtheNational
EnvironmentalPolicyAct,theNationalHistoricPreservationActandtheNativeAmerican
GravesProtectionandRepatriationAct,aswellasfederaltrustresponsibilitiesguaranteedinthe
1851and1868UnitedStatestreatieswiththeLakota,DakotaandNakotatribes.

TheCleanWaterActsgeneralpermitprogramwasintendedforcategoriesofprojectsthatwill
havetrulyminimalenvironmentalimpacts,likeboatramps,mooringbuoys,andsome
recreationalfacilities.Itwasnotintendedformassiveinterstatepipelinesthattransport
hazardousfossilfuelsforhundredsofmilesthroughcommunitiesandwaterwaysandposegrave
risksofleaks,spills,andexplosions.TheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyActrequiresthatafull
EnvironmentalImpactStatement(EIS)becompletedformajoractionsthatimpactthe
environment.Giventhesize,scale,environmentalrisksandcontroversyofthisproject,
NationwidePermit12shouldnothavebeenapplied.

TheCorpsindividualpermitprocessistheonlywaytoensurethattherisksandimpactsfrom
theseprojectshavebeenidentified,analyzedandproperlymitigated,andensurethatthefamilies
andcommunitiesthatstandtobeimpactedbyadisasterhaveanopportunitytohavetheirvoices
heardinthepipelinereviewprocess.

AslongasNationwidePermit12isbeingusedtorubberstampoilpipelines,itignorestheintent
ofourlawsandpresentsanongoingthreattoourwaterresources,ourcommunities,andour
climate.Pipelinesmustbeevaluatedfullyandinatransparentmannerwithopportunityfor
publicinputinordertobeheldtothesamenationalinterestandclimatestandardsasthe
KeystoneXLtarsandspipeline,whichweapplaudyouforrejectinglastyear.

We,theorganizationssignedbelow,supportthetribesandlandownersalongthepipelineroute
intheirfightagainsttheDakotaAccessPipelineproject.WeurgeyourAdministrationtodirect
theCorpstodenytheremainingSection408permitsforDakotaAccess,revokethepipelines
authorizationsunderNationwidePermit12,andinitiateatransparentCWASection404
permittingprocessthatincludespublicnoticeandparticipation,formaltribalconsultation,and
adequateenvironmentalreviewofthepipeline.Untilthatoccurs,constructiononthisproject
shouldnotbeallowedtocontinue.WefurthercallonyouradministrationtorevokeNationwide
Permit12ormodifyittopreventthesegmentationofpipelinesinthefutureandresumeitsprior
practiceofevaluatingtheenvironmentalimpactsofindividualfossilfuelpipelines.Thankyou
foryourconsiderationofthisimportantmatter.

Sincerelyyours,

TomGoldtooth
ExecutiveDirector
IndigenousEnvironmentalNetwork

MichaelBrune
ExecutiveDirector
SierraClub

WinonaLaDuke
ExecutiveDirector
HonortheEarth

JaneKleeb
President
BoldAlliance

LindseyAllen
ExecutiveDirector
RainforestActionNetwork

MayBoeve
ExecutiveDirector
350.org

ShelleySilbert
ExecutiveDirector
GreatOldBroadsforWilderness

MaryShesgreen
Chair
FoxValleyCitizensforPeaceandJustice

PhyllisHasbrouck
CoChair
350Madison

ToddPaglia
ExecutiveDirector
Stand.earth

JohnPeck
ExecutiveDirector
FamilyFarmDefenders

WenonahHauter
ExecutiveDirector
FoodandWaterWatch

StephenKretzmann
ExecutiveDirector
OilChangeInternational

KiernSuckling
ExecutiveDirector
CenterforBiologicalDiversity

KevinWhelan
ExecutiveDirector
Minnesota350

RyanKennedy
ExecutiveDirector
MinnesotaPublicInterestResearchGroup

AnnieLeonard
ExecutiveDirector
Greenpeace

ErichPica
President
FriendsoftheEarth

EvanWeber
ExecutiveDirector
USClimatePlan

JenniferKrill
ExecutiveDirector
Earthworks

CarolynRaffensperger
ExecutiveDirector
ScienceandEnvironmentalHealthNetwork

DeniMathews
Chair
SaveOurIllinoisLand

LydiaAvila
ExecutiveDirector
PowershiftNetwork

KimberleeWright
ExecutiveDirector
MidwestEnvironmentalAdvocates

LizKirkwood
ExecutiveDirector
ForLoveofWater

JohnHorning
ExecutiveDirector
WildEarthGuardians

VictorMenotti
ExecutiveDirector
InternationalForumonGlobalization

HughEspey
ExecutiveDirector
IowaCitizensforCommunityImprovement

MargieAlt
ExecutiveDirector
EnvironmentAmerica

MarcYaggi
ExecutiveDirector
WaterkeeperAlliance