Energy Transfer seeks to block Greenpeace lawsuit filed in Netherlands

Energy Transfer asked the North Dakota Supreme Court on Dec. 18 to halt a lawsuit Greenpeace International filed against the company in the Netherlands while related litigation continues in North Dakota, according to the North Dakota Monitor. The request stems from an ongoing case in Southwest Judicial District Court, where Energy Transfer accuses Greenpeace International and two other Greenpeace entities of conspiring to use unlawful tactics to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

According to the North Dakota Monitor, Greenpeace International denies the allegations and says the North Dakota lawsuit is intended to punish the organization for opposing the pipeline. Greenpeace International filed its Dutch lawsuit in February under a European Union directive aimed at addressing frivolous lawsuits, seeking monetary damages and alleging harm from Energy Transfer’s litigation. Judge James Gion denied Energy Transfer’s request to suspend the foreign case, finding the legal claims different. The state Supreme Court took the matter under advisement, according to the North Dakota Monitor.