A final environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline probably won’t be ready until next year, according to the leader of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, told lawmakers Wednesday that while the agency had planned to complete the final environmental impact statement (EIS) by the end of 2024, “unfortunately I think it’s going to take a little bit longer.”
“At this point in time, to ensure that we do this work thoroughly, respond to the comments and build a record to make this a defensible piece of work and we don’t have to do it over again — as you know there’s been a lot of litigation — we need to complete that work,” Connor said at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
“We’ve moved probably into 2025,” he said, responding to a question from Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) about when the EIS process is slated to wrap up.
