The Obama administration is expected to approve the disputed easement for the Dakota Access pipeline as soon as Monday, according to two sources familiar with the timing — dealing a major blow to climate activists even before Donald Trump takes office.
The decision would let the pipeline be built across the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux's reservation in North Dakota, where protesters have been camped out for months in one of the largest ongoing environmental standoffs of recent years.
The expected move is not surprising given that Donald Trump's upset victory sets the stage for the $3.7 billion oil pipeline's eventual approval no matter what the outgoing administration decides.
But Dakota Access opponents continue to press the administration to keep delaying the project, and the prospect of a Monday announcement is raising concerns that nationwide protests planned for Tuesday could turn uncivil.
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