[Peace] WILL: Urbana City Council Passes Resolution Opposing Dakota Access Pipeline

[Robert Naiman]

(audio recording of the proceedings at link)

http://will.illinois.edu/news/story/urbana-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-dakota-access-pipeline

illinois public media news
Urbana City Council Passes Resolution Opposing Dakota Access Pipeline
September 20, 2016
BY JIM MEADOWS

A resolution opposing the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline project
passed the Urbana City Council Monday night on a unanimous voice vote.

The pipeline would transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois, although
orders from three federal agencies have temporarily halted its
construction. The resolution cites the potential environmental risk of oil
spills from the pipeline, and the damage already caused to sacred spaces
during construction --- according to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Ward Four Alderman Bill Brown says he believes the world will need fossil
fuels such as oil for some time to come. But he said he couldn’t ignore the
pipeline’s dangers --- danger the pipeline poses to the environment and to
Native American cultural sites.

 “There’s no easy solution from an energy perspective, but certainly, in
this instance, from a cultural perspective and the way the people were
treated, I think this is the right thing to do,” said Brown.

The only opposition came from the lone Republican on the Council. Ward Six
Alderman Michael P. Madigan said he had empathy for the Standing Rock Sioux
and their concerns. But he says the oil intended for the pipeline would be
extracted and transported with or without it --- and that the pipeline
provided the safest means.

“It is the way that the oil can be moved with the least amount of detriment
to the environment,” said Madigan “And if somebody would rather have it
moved by semi or train, I would ask you, are you not for reducing the
carbon footprint?”

Despite his criticisms, Madigan did not oppose the resolution in Monday
night’s voice vote.

The measure asks the president to review the pipeline’s construction permit
… and to make sure federal requirements for pipeline construction consider
the impact on water, global warming and the impact on “Tribal nations”.

Members of the public had called on the Urbana City Council to pass the
resolution. Several of them voiced their support during the public comment
section of Monday’s city council meeting, just as they had during an
earlier committee-of-the-whole meeting.
Story source: WILL
===

Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
(202) 448-2898 x1
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