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The Current Route For The Dakota Access Pipeline Won't Be Approved

The 1,172-mile pipeline would have passed under Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the Missouri River.

The Current Route For The Dakota Access Pipeline Won't Be Approved
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will not approve construction permits for the current route for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The 1,172-mile pipeline would have run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the Missouri River, and members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe argued it could have potentially contaminated their drinking water, as well as disturbed sacred ground.

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The Corps said Sunday afternoon that it will conduct an environmental impact survey and explore different locations for that section of the pipeline.

In a statement, a Corps spokesperson said, "The best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing."