Judicial Watch: Tribes Sue Over Pipeline, Landowners Win Reprieve
Tribal and private landowners are fighting back in court against the pipeline companies’ preemptive seizure of their land.
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, one of the largest Native American groups in the state, has petitioned for a delay in Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) development until the tribe’s questions regarding impact on its members’ lands and resources are answered. The Lumbees joined the Haliwa-Saponi in formally petitioning for a rehearing of their claims. The Lumbees are centered in Robeson County, the supposed southern terminus of the pipeline as presently announced.
Writing for Energy News Network, reporter Elizabeth Ouzts discusses the latest developments in this case.
Meanwhile last week, a federal judge in the Eastern District of North Carolina ruled in favor of two landowners seeking to prevent tree-clearing of the pipeline’s route across their land prior to the settlement of payment claims for their condemned property. The ACP had sought court authorization to clear the land before court challenges were completed.
While neither of these cases presents the likelihood of reversing approvals of the pipeline altogether, they and others may collectively force stronger limitations on its adverse impacts.
