Victory for activists after pipeline permit denied

Protesters celebrate success against project but say they will remain at the site

The US Army Corps of Engineers said on Sunday it turned down a permit for a controversial pipeline project running through North Dakota, in a victory for Native Americans and climate activists who have protested against the project for months.

A celebration erupted at the main protest camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, where the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others have been protesting against the 1,885-kilometer Dakota Access Pipeline.

It may prove to be a short-lived victory, however, because Republican President-elect Donald Trump has said he supports the project. Trump takes over from Democratic President Barack Obama on Jan 20 and policy experts believe he could reverse the decision if he wanted to.

Protesters on Monday said they would remain camped at the site, despite the ruling.

The line, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, had been complete except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

That stretch required permission from federal authorities. The Obama administration delayed a decision on the permit twice in an effort to consult further with the tribe.

"The Army will not grant an easement to cross Lake Oahe at the proposed location based on the current record," a statement from the US Army said.

Jo-Ellen Darcy, the Army's Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, said in a statement the decision was based on a need to explore alternate routes for the pipeline, although it remained unclear what those alternatives would be.

Energy Transfer Partners and its partner Sunoco Logistics blasted the decision in a statement, calling it the "latest in a series of overt and transparent political actions" by the Obama administration. They said they were committed to seeing the project completed without rerouting the line.

Water danger

Protesters have said the $3.8 billion project could contaminate the water supply and damage sacred tribal lands.

"I hope they follow through here with this. They haven't been following the law all along. So we'll see - but this is a victory today for our people and our water," said Native American Gerad Kipp, 44, an irrigation engineer from Missoula, Montana.

Protest organizers had for months argued that crossing the Missouri River adjacent to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation presented a danger to their water source.

Protests grew over the months, with hundreds of military veterans flocking to the camp in recent days to stand against what they said were aggressive law enforcement tactics.

"It's not a 100 percent victory. But I think the people who've been here for almost eight months have earned the right to be excited today," said Eryn Wise, 26, an organizer with International Indigenous Youth Council.

However, North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer and Senator John Hoeven, both Republicans who favor the line, blasted the decision, saying it "violates the rule of law and fails to resolve the issue." Cramer, an adviser to Trump under consideration for a Cabinet post, said the president-elect would "restore law and order".

Trump has yet to react to Sunday's decision.