North Dakota and U.S. reach settlement in Dakota Access Pipeline protest damages lawsuit

North Dakota has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice concerning a ruling that awarded the state $28 million in damages from the Dakota Access Pipeline protest, according to Law360. The Army Corps of Engineers approved the pipeline’s construction in 2016, which drew opposition from over 200 tribes. The pipeline crosses under the Missouri River and Lake Oahe just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, which threatens Standing Rock’s water resources and harms the environment, says the tribe. The state filed a lawsuit in 2019 against the United States, acting through the Corps, for failing to minimize civil unrest and prevent damage to civilians, law enforcement and private property during the 2016 and 2017 protests. In an April 2025 ruling, a federal judge found that the Corps was at fault for negligence, civil trespass and public nuisance and ordered the United States to pay North Dakota $28 million in damages. In June, the United States issued a notice to appeal. Now, parties have come to a settlement out of court. Information about what the settlement entails and how much the state will be awarded in damages is not yet public.