Dakota Access Pipeline protesters left so much garbage behind that if the Army Core of Engineers and locals can’t get it all cleared out before spring it could create an environmental hazard.
“Without proper remediation, debris, trash, and untreated waste will wash into the Cannonball River and Lake Oahe,” the Corps said in its statement.
But it’s not just trash that concerns them.
Authorities are concerned about the possibility of other kinds of tragedies, too. Every load of trash is carefully combed by the Morton County Sheriff’s department: “We are looking for, as I said, anything illegal, anything that might be used to, I guess, harm our officers during a protest,” said Morton County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jay Gruebele. He added, “As bad as it sounds, we’re looking for people that may have died and could be wrapped up in a canvas or a tarp or tent.”
The Standing Rock Sioux and a local environmental group are working to help clean up a mess that could impact the drinking water of millions which is ironic. One of the protester’s primary complaints was that the pipeline posed a risk to drinking water. Turns out it was the protesters.
Local NBC News/Channel 5 has this report.
Related: GrokTALK! Pipeline Protesters are Obama Approved.
