Judge rules Dakota Access pipeline company can keep spill risks secret from the public

[babylonsister]

Natasha Geiling
Reporter at ThinkProgress.
Apr 14
Judge rules Dakota Access pipeline company can keep spill risks secret from the public
A federal judge ruled that Energy Transfer Partners can keep some information about the pipeline secret.


Despite concerns that the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline could threaten the primary source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux, a federal judge ruled that the pipeline’s developer can keep some information about spill risks secret from the public.

The ruling — which would permit Energy Transfer Partners, the developer of the pipeline, to keep information about spill risks at certain points along the pipeline shielded from the public — comes after unknown protesters used a torch to burn holes in empty above-ground segments of the pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes had argued that information about spill risks could potentially strengthen their case for more environmental review of the project.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg rejected that argument, saying that shielding the information from public view would prevent vandalism of the pipeline.

“The asserted interest in limiting intentionally inflicted harm outweighs the tribes’ generalized interests in public disclosure and scrutiny,” Boasberg said in his ruling.

Other information, however, will be available to the public, such as how Energy Transfer Partners plans to handle potential spills.

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https://thinkprogress.org/dakota-access-spill-details-secret-ad8b2c32cbfe