Pipeline Protesters Cheer In North Dakota

Pipeline¹ Protesters Cheer In North Dakota

This is What’s Trending Today.

The United States Army Corps² of Engineers has denied a permit that would be needed to complete a major oil pipeline under the Missouri River.

The announcement on Sunday ended a tense situation between the U.S. government and several thousand people. They had set up a protest camp on federal land in North Dakota.

For months, the Standing³ Rock Sioux tribe has been leading demonstrations⁴ against the Dakota Access Pipeline project. The tribe says the pipeline would affect its drinking water supply and destroy its holy places.

The Corps of Engineers is responsible for studying and approving permits for all water crossings nationwide. In North Dakota, protesters are celebrating the federal agency’s decision.

Many people who followed the story on social media also are celebrating. They posted articles and videos about the news on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

“North Dakota,” “Dakota Access Pipeline” and “Army Corps of Engineers” were all trending topics on Sunday and Monday. Some news media produced videos of tribe members cheering when they heard the news.

Corry Westbrook is an environmental activist⁵ in Florida. She called the agency’s decision “great and wonderful news” in her Facebook post.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted that the protesters “showed the importance of standing together against injustice⁶.”

Members of the tribe started protesting in late July after the Corps of Engineers approved the final land easements and crossing of the Missouri River. The river feeds a nearby, man-made lake, which is used to collect drinking water.

The pipeline is designed to bring oil over 1,800 kilometers from western North Dakota to oil processing centers in southern Illinois. The Army Corps of Engineers controls the land along the way close to the tribe’s reservation.

The crowd of protesters grew over time. At one point, protesters fought with police who tried to break up the crowd by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon⁷.

Even with the arrival of cold weather, the number of protesters grew. They were joined last week by thousands of U.S. military veterans who offered their support by building temporary shelters.

The Corps of Engineers said on Sunday it will work with Energy Transfer, the company responsible for building the pipeline, to find another way to cross the lake.

But Energy Transfer said the decision is only a delay and it plans to finish the project without changing the direction of the pipeline.

That means some of the protesters will be back. Many people warned that work on the pipeline could begin again in early 2017 once Donald Trump⁸ is sworn-in as president.

A Trump aide says the president-elect will “support construction” of the pipeline and will consider the project once in office.

Words in This Story

trend – n. something that is currently popular or fashionable

injustice – n. lack of justice

reservation – n. public land set aside for a special purpose

construction – n. the act of building something; putting several pieces together

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

7 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。