Fri, Mar 15th, 2024 - 6:18am
July 20, 2018 - 9:59am | By Leah Backstrom
WZFG News has learned that North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem today filed a demand for payment, in the amount of $38,005,071.66, to the Federal Government’s Army Corps of Engineers. The filing is related to the Dakota Access Pipeline protest. Stenehjem tells WZFG’s Scott Hennen that it has taken considerable time to tally the actual costs of law enforcement and cleanup efforts. Stenehjem says the Army Corps failed to meet its own standards and guidelines in preventing assembly of more than 8,000 protesters that gathered on Corps property. Protesters prevented construction of the legally-permitted pipeline, while building unlawful structures and clashing with law enforcement. The demand will be submitted for payment, and under federal law the Corps will have six months to remit or deny payment. If payment is denied, the State of North Dakota could then choose to file suit in federal court. Stenehjem says there is precedent for winning such cases and expects a successful outcome.
