North Dakota Secures $27.8M Final Payment in DAPL Protest Settlement

North Dakota will receive a final payment of $27.8 million from the federal government for costs incurred during the 2016-17 Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests, according to a settlement announced last week. Combined with a previously secured $10 million payment, the state's total recovery for protest-related expenses amounts to nearly $38 million, according to Bing News.

The settlement, announced by North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, resolves a long-running lawsuit where the state sought reimbursement for law enforcement, emergency response, and cleanup efforts tied to the months of demonstrations. State officials had argued that North Dakota taxpayers should not bear the financial burden of the protests, which centered near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and involved federal lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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

The Dakota Access Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Bakken formation to Illinois, was the focal point of one of the largest Indigenous-led movements in modern history starting in April 2016. Protesters, including members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allies from hundreds of tribal nations, argued the pipeline threatened tribal water supplies and sacred sites. The protests drew international attention and culminated in a temporary victory for opponents in December 2016, when the Army Corps denied a key easement. That decision was reversed after President Donald Trump took office and directed the Corps to expedite the project. The pipeline was completed and entered service in 2017.

In a statement following the settlement announcement, Attorney General Wrigley credited the work of his office and the efforts of former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who pursued the reimbursement before his death in 2022. The financial recovery closes a significant chapter of uncertainty for the state related to the pipeline's construction period.

For Bakken operators and the state's oil industry, the DAPL remains a critical piece of infrastructure, providing a direct route for North Dakota crude to reach markets. The finalization of this financial settlement removes a lingering fiscal liability for the state related to the pipeline's contentious rollout, allowing officials to focus on current energy infrastructure and development in the Williston Basin.