The Dakota Access Pipeline and the protests against it have swept the news – from background pieces in CNN to several New York Times articles (including the front cover) to #NoDAPL trending on Twitter. We have gotten several questions about what Sierra Club is doing to support the protests of the tribes against this pipeline and how this pipelines and ones like it impact us here in Wisconsin.
What is the Sierra Club doing to support #NoDAPL efforts?
Letter to the White House: On August 25, 2016, Sierra Club signed onto a letter to President Obama requesting a halt on construction and for the Army Corps of Engineers permits for the pipeline to be repealed. This letter was signed by 30 organizations.
Petition to Stop the Toxic Dakota Access Fracked Oil Pipeline: Sierra Club has collected over 30,000 signatures asking for the permits for Dakota Access to be revoked. You can add your name to that list here.
Solidarity Events: On Tuesday 9/13, Sierra Club and several other environmental organizations participated in a day of solidarity with the fight against Dakota Access. There were 5 actions in Wisconsin, and over 10,000 people participated in the day of solidarity nationwide.
Educating Members and Supporters and Participating in Regulatory Processes: While the media has been covering this for a month or two, the fight against this pipeline has been much longer. Sierra Club Iowa not only keeps their website up-to-date with information about the pipeline, but they also were active in the Iowa Utilities Board Proceedings last December. The Dacotah Chapter (North Dakota) and the South Dakota Chapter have been sharing out information and updates on their social networks, as have chapters that are less geographically close to this pipeline. National Sierra Club has worked hard fighting Nationwide Permit 12 (a permit loophole that fast-tracks pipeline approval) for months. Sierra Club was also one of the many organizations that issued a statement of support of the tribal lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers. Recently, Sierra Club Staff Attorney Doug Hayes answered some questions from the Huffington Post about the historical context in which the Dakota Access Pipeline exists.
Why don’t I see Sierra Club’s logo front and center at the protests at Sacred Stone Camp?
We’ve been asked this question quite a lot. The statement that Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued on September 1 gives a glimpse toward the answer to that question:
“Although this protest is being led by the Standing Rock Sioux, who have now been joined by more than 90 other tribes, all of us who care about stopping the spread of dirty fuels have a stake in its outcome. For its part, the Sierra Club is proud to support our Native American allies in this struggle, whether by spreading the word through social media, reaching out to media, or even helping out with transportation to North Dakota for tribes from other states. This isn’t the first time Sierra Club has stood in solidarity with tribal allies [see here, here, here, and here, for example] nor will it be the last; I believe these alliances are fundamental to our goals and aspirations as an organization.”
“Solidarity.” The role that Sierra Club is playing, outlined above by Brune, is to stand behind the tribes and frontline communities - without putting our logo first - and to continue to push media and the regulatory process. While some Sierra Club members are at the Sacred Stone encampment, the primary role that Sierra Club has decided to take on is to elevate the voices of those most directly impacted by the Dakota Access Pipeline. Our logo is not what is important; stopping the pipeline is.
Pipelines in Wisconsin
Enbridge, an owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline, also owns multiple pipelines in Wisconsin and in other states around the Midwest. Enbridge hopes to build yet another pipeline in Wisconsin – the corridor is likely to abut tribal land in Northern Wisconsin. Sierra Club John Muir Chapter is working hard to get ahead of this pipeline before permitting even begins. To find out more, you can watch our webinar about pipelines in Wisconsin. To take action in Wisconsin, contact Elizabeth Ward at elizabeth.ward@sierraclub.org.