North Dakota to receive $28 million in Dakota Access protest settlement
Settlement ends a yearslong lawsuit over costs North Dakota incurred during the 2016 and 2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests
North Dakota will receive about $28 million from the federal government under a settlement resolving a lawsuit over costs tied to the 2016 and 2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests, according to reporting from the North Dakota Monitor. The settlement matches the amount awarded to the state in 2025 by U.S. District Judge Dan Traynor. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged the federal government contributed to the growth of the protests by allowing demonstrators to camp on federal land.
Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the agreement ends nearly seven years of litigation and covers about $7.5 million in legal fees incurred by the state. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement acknowledging the federal government "could have done more to reduce the impacts to the people of North Dakota" during the protests, while continuing to dispute Traynor's legal findings. During the trial, Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke testified that cleanup costs could have been reduced if demonstrators had been given more time to clear the camps. Wrigley said the settlement funds will be used to pay off a loan from the Bank of North Dakota.
- 1.Mary Steurer. North Dakota Monitor, .
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