Army to allow completion of Dakota Access pipeline

BISMARCK, North Dakota — The U.S. army said Tuesday it will allow the $3.8-billion Dakota Access oil pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, clearing the way for completion of the disputed four-state project.

However, construction could still be delayed because the Standing Rock Sioux tribe which has led opposition said it would fight the latest development in court.

The army intends to cancel further environmental study and allow the Lake Oahe crossing as early as today, according to court documents.

The stretch under Lake Oahe is the final big chunk of work on the 1,931-kilometre pipeline that would carry North Dakota oil through the Dakotas and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.