North Dakota Secures $27.8M Final Payment for DAPL Protest Costs

North Dakota has secured a final $27.8 million payment from the federal government to cover costs related to the historic Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests, according to a settlement announced by Attorney General Drew Wrigley. Combined with a previous $10 million payment, the state's total recovery amounts to nearly $38 million.

The settlement resolves a long-running lawsuit where North Dakota sought reimbursement for law enforcement, emergency response, and cleanup expenses stemming from the months-long demonstrations near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. State officials had argued that taxpayers should not bear the financial burden.

According to the source, the state's emergency response lasted more than 230 days and involved 178 response agencies from multiple counties. Authorities reported making 761 arrests during the protests, with 709 involving individuals from outside North Dakota.

The protests began on April 1, 2016, when members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allies established the Sacred Stone Camp. The movement grew into one of the largest Indigenous-led protests in modern history, drawing thousands opposing the pipeline over concerns it threatened tribal water supplies and sacred sites.

The pipeline's fate shifted with the presidential administration. In December 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a key easement for the pipeline to cross beneath Lake Oahe. That decision was reversed after President Donald Trump took office and directed the Corps to expedite the project. By late February 2017, law enforcement had cleared the remaining camps.

In a statement, Wrigley credited the work of his office and former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who pursued the reimbursement before his death in 2022.

The Dakota Access Pipeline transports crude oil from the Bakken formation in North Dakota to Illinois. Despite the intense opposition, it was completed and entered service in 2017. The final settlement closes a significant financial chapter for the state related to the project's controversial construction period.