CONFLICTS IN THE PIPELINE
Trump’s interests raise red flag
WASHINGTON President-elect Donald Trump holds stock in the company building the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline, and pipeline opponents warn that Trump’s investments could affect any decision he makes on the US$3.8billion project as president.
Trump’s 2016 federal disclosure forms show he owned between US$15,000 and US$50,000 in stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. That’s down from between US$500,000 and US$1 million a year earlier. Trump also owns between US$100,000 and US$250,000 in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access.
While Trump’s stake in the pipeline company is modest compared with his other assets, ethics experts say it’s among dozens of potential conflicts that could be resolved by placing his investments in a blind trust, a step Trump has resisted.
The Obama administration said this month it wants more study and tribal input before deciding whether to allow the partially built pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota.
The 1,900-kilometre pipeline would carry oil across four states to a shipping point in Illinois. The project has been held up while the Army Corps of Engineers consults with the Standing Rock Sioux.
The delay, which comes as protests unfold daily along the proposed route, raises the likelihood that a final decision will be made by Trump, a pipeline supporter. He takes office in January.
“Trump’s investments in the pipeline business threaten to undercut faith in this process,” said Sharon Buccino, director of the land and wildlife program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, called Trump’s investment in the pipeline company “disturbing.”
Concern about Trump’s possible conflicts comes as protests over the pipeline have intensified in recent weeks, with total arrests since August rising to 528.
Kelcy Warren, CEO of Dallasbased Energy Transfer, told The Associated Press that he expects Trump to make it easier for his company and others to complete infrastructure projects.
“Do I think it’s going to get easier? Of course,” said Warren, who donated US$3,000 to Trump’s campaign, plus US$100,000 to a committee supporting Trump’s candidacy and US$66,800 to the Republican National Committee.