"Dakota Access pipeline developers scored temporary relief from federal appellate judges who agreed to briefly freeze a lower court order directing the oil project to shut down next month.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday issued an administrative stay—a short-term procedural move that prevents the shutdown order from taking effect while the appeals court considers arguments from Dakota Access, the Trump administration, and Indigenous advocates on whether to lock in longer-term relief for the pipeline.

The stay is expected to last a matter of days or weeks while the D.C. Circuit decides whether to require the pipeline to halt operations, or allow it to continue moving oil during an appeals process expected to last many months."

Ellen M. Gilmer reports for Bloomberg Environment July 14, 2020. [2]