Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Sues to Shut Down Pipeline

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline. The legal action targets the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and three federal officials.

The tribe seeks to overturn a May 2026 record of decision that granted an easement for the pipeline's Missouri River crossing. The lawsuit argues that a December 2025 environmental impact statement failed to address spill response, safety risks, and tribal treaty rights. Additionally, the tribe is requesting that the court rescind approvals for spill response plans and block oil transport through the river section.

Tribal Chairman Steve Sitting Bear stated that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moved forward with the project without addressing concerns regarding ancestral lands and water safety. The tribe maintains the pipeline sits on stolen land based on the 1851 Fort Laramie and 1868 treaties, rejecting a 1980 Supreme Court settlement regarding illegal land seizures.

Energy Transfer, the pipeline developer, maintains the infrastructure is safe and complies with all regulations. The pipeline currently transports between 500,000 and 525,000 barrels of oil per day from North Dakota to Illinois.