FORT YATES, N.D. (AP) - The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is considering forming a tribal utilities commission to govern infrastructure projects on its land.
Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II told The Bismarck Tribune (https://bit.ly/2h3hVat ) that the fight over the Dakota Access oil pipeline near the tribe’s reservation has shown flaws in federal and state law pertaining to tribal consultation and input on infrastructure projects. Archambault said that’s something he feels a tribal utilities commission could rectify.
“I think it’s in everyone’s interest to have some kind of regulatory authority,” he said.
Archambault said the commission would have authority over all utilities infrastructure. He said the creation of a commission wouldn’t rule out the possibility of oil pipelines on the reservation, despite the opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline. Rather, there could be less reluctance to allow their development with more input on potential projects.
Even though the Dakota Access pipeline isn’t slated to cross the reservation, Archambault said a tribal utilities commission could give the tribe more weight on the national stage if similar projects arose in the future.
Archambault said the tribe would first need to create a regulatory code before forming a commission. Once written, the new code would need feedback from tribal members for 30 days.
“The process takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.
The tribe is looking to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota as a model for its proposed commission, Archambault said.
The existence of Rosebud Sioux tribal utilities commission, established 22 years ago, has allowed the South Dakota tribe to be an advocate for utilities consumers within tribal homelands.
Archambault is also talking to the Rosebud Sioux about creating an intertribal utilities commission. The intertribal commission would be continuity of regulation across tribal homelands, making it easier for utilities companies to follow.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, https://www.bismarcktribune.com
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