Oil Change: Stop The Schemes Of The Dakota Access Pipeline

Energy Transfer is trying to DOUBLE the capacity of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Tell these governors to stand up to Big Oil and stop the expansion of DAPL.

Despite an incredible, Indigenous-led effort to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), Donald Trump’s election allowed pipeline owner Energy Transfer to complete construction in 2017. More than 1,000 miles long, the pipeline ships over 500,000 barrels of shale oil from North Dakota to Illinois every day, where it is then shipped to the Gulf Coast.

In its first six months of operation, DAPL spilled six times. Its climate impact is already staggeringly high. And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, the news drops that Energy Transfer wants to DOUBLE the pipeline’s carrying capacity – increasing daily shipments over 1.1 MILLION barrels of oil per day. But this plan requires state permits, which means the governors of Illinois, Iowa, and North Dakota can put a stop to it.

Tell these governors to stand up to Big Oil and do everything they can to stop the doubling of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In Illinois, Energy Transfer wants to construct THREE pump stations within a half-mile of hard-working farmers’ fields. In Iowa, it plans to expand an existing station to a much larger size. And in North Dakota, the plan would mean a new pump station built along the hotly contested pipeline route. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has publicly announced its opposition, citing an increased threat of spills and contamination in Lake Oahe, less than a mile from the tribe's reservation. Increasing the pipeline’s capacity will not only wreck the climate even faster, but could lead to more frequent – and larger – disastrous leaks.

Doubling DAPL would be a disaster for the climate – and for the land and water of communities along its route. Tell Govs. Pritzker, Reynolds, and Noem to stop this dirty proposed expansion in its tracks.

When activists in Illinois tried to get basic info from Energy Transfer on the potential climate impacts of the proposed expansion, DAPL executives objected to the data request as “irrelevant” and claimed that climate impacts weren’t something they would discuss.

Regardless of their lies, added transportation for fossil fuels is the last thing we need in a climate emergency. Our research showed that DAPL would lock in emissions equal to 30 new U.S. coal-fired power plants. Doubling its capacity would boost this number through the roof, at a time when it’s clearer than ever that we can’t afford to build any more fossil fuel infrastructure.

Add your name: Stop the doubling of the Dakota Access Pipeline and call on the governors of Illinois, Iowa, and North Dakota to protect their residents.

Stopping this expansion will be an uphill battle – but support from local community groups is growing by the day. Join us to say ‘No more!’ to Energy Transfer and treat the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves.

Thanks for all you do,

Collin Rees,
Senior Campaigner
Oil Change U.S.

P.S. One of our supporters has generously offered to match every donation we receive through #GivingTuesday — so if you’ve been considering a tax-deductible end-of-year gift now is the time to make it.

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MORE INFORMATION:

"The Dakota Access Pipeline will lock-in the emissions of 30 coal plants," Oil Change International, 09-12-2016.

"Five Spills, Six Months in Operation: Dakota Access Track Record Highlights Unavoidability Reality – Pipelines Leak," The Intercept, 01-09-2018.

"Dakota Access and Energy Transfer's Response to Save Our Illinois Land’s July 19, 2019 Data Request," Dakota Access & Energy Transfer LLC, 09-18-2019.

"Climate-heating greenhouse gases hit new high, UN reports," The Guardian, 11-25-2019.

"Dakota Access oil pipeline eyes expansion over tribe's objections," Reuters, 11-13-