The company developing the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline wants some records regarding the project to be hidden from the public.
Dakota Access LLC, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, outlined its objections to certain disclosures in a brief late Wednesday in the federal District Court for the District of Columbia.
The company cited the ongoing protests against the pipeline as evidence to argue that “terrorists or others intending to cause harm” could misuse the information.
{mosads}“Given the intense amount of public attention this pipeline has received, and the unlawful activity already experienced, there is a greater than typical risk that this information would be misused to harm the public,” it wrote.
Information regarding the pipeline from the Army Corps of Engineers has been submitted to the court as part of a complex case in which an American Indian tribe is trying to get the pipeline blocked and the company is trying to force its approval.
The project’s main remaining hurdle is an Army Corps easement it needs in order to build under Lake Oahe in North Dakota.
Former President Obama delayed the easement before leaving office. But last week, President Trump instructed the Army Corps to approve it as soon as possible.
Dakota Access said all of the parties to the case have agreed to seal some of the information.
But there’s still disagreement over two classes of documents: information on the pipeline’s routing through private land and spill response data that details where ruptures could happen, how emergency personnel could respond and more.
Other documents that are part of the court’s record are likely to be released publicly as a normal part of the litigation process.