Company: ENBSF
Filing Date: 2025-02-14
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000895728-25-000006
Chunk: 39

Company: ENBRIDGE INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-14
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7
Chunk 39
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 US Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's decision, holding that the Army Corps is required to prepare an EIS and that the Army Corps' easement for DAPL is vacated. The US Supreme Court subsequently denied the request of Dakota Access, LLC to review the decision that an EIS is required. The US Court of Appeals also determined that, absent an injunction proceeding, the District Court could not order DAPL's operations to cease. While not an issue before, the US Court of Appeals also recognized that the Army Corps could consider whether to allow DAPL to continue to operate in the absence of an easement. The Army Corps earlier indicated that it did not intend to exercise its authority to bar DAPL's continued operation, notwithstanding the absence of an easement.

On September 8, 2023, the Army Corps issued its draft EIS, which assesses the impacts of DAPL under five alternative scenarios: denying the easement removing the pipeline; denying the easement and leaving the pipeline in place; granting the easement with the prior conditions (which allow for the ongoing operation, maintenance and ultimate removal of the pipeline and its related facilities); granting the easement with some new safety conditions; and rerouting the pipeline. The Army Corps did not identify a preferred alternative. The public comment period that commenced on the issuance of the draft EIS closed on December 13, 2023. The pipeline will remain operational while the environmental review process continues. The final EIS is expected to be issued in 2025. 

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On October 15, 2024, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed a complaint in the DC District Court against the Army Corps, among others, seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting the continued operation of DAPL. The main allegations of the complaint are that the Army Corps is unlawfully permitting DAPL to continue to operate without an easement and without a determination under the National Environmental Policy Act, and that the Army Corps has failed to require that a compliant Facility Response Plan be submitted.  Several of the claims are similar to those in the litigation described above. Dakota Access, LLC and 13 states have intervened in the case in support of the Army Corps and continued operation of DAPL.  Dakota Access, LLC filed an answer to the complaint on December 19, 2024. On January 17, 2025, the Federal Defendants, Dakota Access LLC, and the 13 States filed motions to dismiss the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s complaint. Also