Around this time last year a huge controversy had stricken North Dakota involving several Native American tribes, the U.S. Army, President Trump, and a large number of people living in the United States of America. The controversy was the completion of the Dakota Pipeline which passes through a major Native American burial site and trespasses near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. More recently, in November 2017 the pipeline suffered a major leak of over 5,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota causing much of the surrounding area to become black and polluted. From one side it appears to be one of the worst examples of an industry trying to cut costs by ruining the beautiful lands of America’s northern states and hassling the native peoples. However, the other side sees an excellent opportunity to transport fuel more effectively whilst utilizing American steel to its potential.

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Dakota Pipeline Pros

A common justification used by politicians is that by doing, insert campaign promise, they will create jobs, the U.S. is more energy self-sufficient, and the transportation of oil is safer. In this case, it’s actually true. The construction of the

pipeline created somewhere around 8,000 to 12,000 jobs

in the area. One Georgetown professor calculated that

it will overall add $129 million in tax revenue for the

local and state communities. All this tax money can

then be distributed to help schools and go to fixing

roads. Furthermore, allowing the massive amounts of oil

that travel through the pipeline will help the United

States rely less on the Middle East and other foreign

oil sources. This causes the U.S. to be more

self-sufficient and boosts the country’s economy. Lastly, the transportation of crude oil is made incredibly easier. Before, it would have to be carried trains that cause pollution and are a hassle to load and unload. Also, the oil can be directly taken to any of the nearby refineries without having to first be stopped at stations and then trucked over.

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Dakota Pipeline Cons

Since the discovery of North America by Europeans the native peoples have been murdered, segregated, and have had their land stolen from them. The construction of the Dakota Pipeline trespassed on sacred Standing Rock Sioux land causing outrage from the tribe and other tribes who support them. What’s worse is that the United States government promised that they could keep that land in a treaty signed way back in 1851. The building of pipeline began without their permission and the U.S. Army agreed to keep the land safe until February of 2017 when they gave in and quality let the completion of the pipeline take place. 

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The Sioux are not just angry that the pipeline disturbs their sacred lands but, leaks in the pipeline have the potential to pollute the local water supplies and can poison groundwater needed for farming. For the pollution that is stopped by not using trains the oil that is transported will cause 101.4 million metric tons of CO2 to be released into the atmosphere which will be a direct contributor of climate change. 

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To wrap this up, whether you agree or disagree with the construction there are definitely many positives and negatives. Is the violation of human rights worth the amount of money saved? Or the pollution caused for the quickly transported oil? Unfortunately, the decision has already been made. But, in the future it is up to the younger generations to decide between money or people’s rights and their environment.