REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ URGES PRESIDENT OBAMA TO REPEAL NORTH DAKOTA PIPELINE PERMITS AND IMMEDIATELY HALT CONSTRUCTION

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), senior member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, today released the following statement in response to the increasing effort of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other actors to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Since the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline started, there have been protests from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other Native American groups, and a great number of non-native supporters.  The construction of this pipeline will most likely put the tribe’s water supply in danger and disrupt their ancestral tribal lands. There are also a number of other environmental concerns that many believe were not addressed before the Army Corp of Engineers approved construction of this pipeline. Protesters have been met by heavy resistance from the North Dakota police, National Guard, and other resources.

“I stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all Native American tribes against this injustice to sacred land and our natural resources. We must work together to address the environmental safety concerns and respect the sacredness of their ancestral lands. Too many times our government has failed to work with Native American tribes as a sovereign nations.”

“I strongly urge President Obama to pursue all avenues in order to find an environmentally sound solution that respects the sacred land of the Tribes.  A thorough environmental review that is open and transparent on the impact the pipeline will have on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s land must be conducted immediately and shared openly with the public.”