Dakota Access Oil Line to Be Shut by Court in Blow for Trump

American Indian tribes have fought oil project for years
Judge previously found environmental law violations

Demonstrators protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Washington, D.C. in 2017. — Demonstrators protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Washington, D.C. in 2017.
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images

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By Ellen M. Gilmer and Rachel Adams-Heard

July 6, 2020 at 2:06 PM UTC

Updated on

July 6, 2020 at 7:14 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The Dakota Access pipeline must shut down by Aug. 5, a district court ruled Monday in a stunning defeat for the Trump administration and the oil industry.

The decision, which shuts the pipeline during a court-ordered environmental review that’s expected to extend into 2021, is a momentous win for American Indian tribes that have opposed the Energy Transfer LP project for years. It comes just a day after Dominion Energy Inc. and Duke Energy Corp. scuttled another project, the Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline, after years of legal delays.