Thirty demonstrators were apprehended last month and most appeared in court, charged with trespassing at a central Iowa petroleum pipeline construction site.
Twenty-nine of the protesters pled guilty and quietly accepted their $270 fine, while one pled not guilty and awaits trial. All 30 protesters are environmentalists and members of various action groups. They continued their protest following their September 15 court hearing, which was to catch the attention of President Barack Obama and stop the Dakota Access pipeline. Their claim is that the pipeline not only disturbs Native burial and other cultural sites, but will inevitably poison the water in the area.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that inhabits the area and other property owners in Iowa have filed a border dispute claim against the project managers.
Counter-protesters and supporters of the project argue that the pipeline has already half completed and an action to stop construction disregards all regulatory processes and will set unfavorable precedents for future infrastructure projects.
If you are in need of representation during a boundary dispute in Cedar Rapids, please contact the aggressive and knowledgeable construction lawyers at Arenson Law Group, PC. For more information on the services we offer, call (319) 363-8199 today.