"Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., says the acting secretary of the army has directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with the easement for construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The project, which is slated to carry North Dakota crude to Midwestern refineries, has drawn protesters who say oil might leak from the structure and contaminate water supplies, and that construction is disturbing lands sacred to the Sioux tribe.

In December, the Obama administration ordered a pause for an environmental study, but President Trump moved soon after his inauguration to support the pipeline, along with the Keystone XL pipeline for Canadian crude."

Barbara Campbell reports for NPR January 31, 2017. [2]