North Dakota Wins $28M from Feds Over Pipeline Protest Costs

BISMARCK, N.D. North Dakota has secured a major legal victory in its bid to recoup costs associated with the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the federal government owes the state nearly $28 million for expenses incurred during the demonstrations in 2016 and 2017.

The state argued that the U.S. government should reimburse them for the costs of law enforcement, security measures, and other resources deployed to manage the large-scale protests against the oil pipeline. The Dakota Access Pipeline project sparked widespread opposition from environmental groups and Native American tribes, who argued that the pipeline threatened water resources and sacred sites.

The protests drew thousands of people to North Dakota, requiring a significant response from state and local law enforcement. The state sought reimbursement from the federal government, citing the scale and nature of the protests. The judge's ruling supports North Dakota's claim that the federal government has a responsibility to help cover the costs associated with managing such events. This decision could have implications for future protests and the allocation of resources to manage them.