A Bad Day to Be a Pipeline: Judge Shuts Down Dakota Access; Atlantic Coast Pipeline Canceled

Two of the most controversial pipeline projects in the United States were dealt massive blows within the span of 24 hours.

2 minute read

July 6, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Dakota Access Protest

Brent Olson / Shutterstock

The nation woke this morning to news that a federal judge had ruled against the Trump administration and ordered the Dakota Access Pipeline shut down and emptied of oil by August 5. An environmental impact statement for the project will be next, according to the ruling.

Amy Sisk reports:

The $3.8 billion pipeline built by developer Energy Transfer has been moving Bakken oil to a shipping point in Illinois for three years. But U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who is overseeing the lawsuit, in March ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a full Environmental Impact Statement. The question of whether the pipeline would be shut down in the meantime had lingered since.

An EIS is a much more stringent review than the Environmental Assessment the Corps completed earlier. Such a study is expected to take 13 months, Boasberg wrote in the ruling he issued Monday.

The Dakota Access Pipeline captured national media attention as environmentalists and local Native American tribes united to oppose the project, and encountered stiff resistance from authorities during the fall, winter, and spring of 2016-2017.

Just one day earlier, the developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which had won a key Supreme Court victory in June, decided to cancel the project. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline attracted controversy for proposing to cross the Appalachian Trail on its journey between West Virginia and North Carolina. 

"Duke Energy and Dominion Energy said that lawsuits, mainly from environmentalists aimed at blocking the project, had increased costs to as much as $8 billion from about $4.5 billion to $5 billion when it was first announced in 2014," reports Ivan Penn on the latest development in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline's story. "Dominion also said on Sunday that it was selling all of its gas transmission and storage assets to an affiliate of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in a deal valued at $9.7 billion."

Monday, July 6, 2020 in Bismark Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Colorful blocky apartment building facade.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software

Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.

April 1 - Stateline

Silver electric BMW car parked in driveway of home in Oakland, California.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers

Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

April 1 - City of Oakland

Sculpture of seated Jane Goodall holding hands with chimp on green lawn.

Jane Goodall Inspires with Message of Hope, Resilience, and Environmental Action

Speaking in Pasadena, Jane Goodall offered a hopeful and inspirational message, urging global compassion, environmental responsibility, and the power of individual action to shape a better future.

April 1 - Pasadena Star-News