10.28.22

Hoeven Statement on U.S. District Court Decision Preserving North Dakota's Ability to Claim Damages from DAPL Protests

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today released the following statement after U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor issued a ruling that preserves North Dakota’s ability to fully claim damages against the federal government to cover the state’s emergency response expenses resulting from the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured $10 million in Fiscal Year 2017 through the DOJ Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program to help reimburse the state.

“The federal government’s negligence during the DAPL protests left North Dakota with costs. I was able to secure $10 million to reimburse the state, but there are additional costs that need to be reimbursed,” said Hoeven. “Our state not only provided law enforcement when federal officials allowed lawless and destructive conduct, but our taxpayers also bore the cost of cleanup. This ruling helps provide certainty for North Dakota as it rightly seeks full compensation from the federal government and builds on our efforts to ensure the state is reimbursed.”

-###-