Audio: Rep. Cramer Says He Expects Trump to Approve Dakota Access Pipeline by Next Week

Congressman Kevin Cramer was on my radio show today live from Washington D.C. where he attended the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.

During his speech Trump said his administration would be one of action, and apparently he wasn’t kidding. When I asked Cramer when we might see some movement from the incoming administration on the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline issue his answer was soon.

Very, very soon.

“By next week the EIS will be rescinded,” Cramer told me referring to the lengthy environmental study President Obama initiated in his final days in office. The Congressman said the Trump administration has the authority to rescind it because, in legal filings responding to the pipeline company’s request that the study be enjoined, the Obama administration itself argued that this was the case.

[mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]”The easement will be issued maybe as early as Monday,” he said.[/mks_pullquote]

Cramer also said a decision granting permission for the pipeline to cross the Lake Oahe reservoir is imminent. “The easement will be issued maybe as early as Monday,” he said.

That’s great news for those who long to see an end to the rioting and violence in south central North Dakota which have been ramping up again in recent weeks. Still, I would expect things to get worse before they get better. Once Trump gives the pipeline the go ahead the protests will get more intense until, perhaps, the project is completed.

What other immediate action can we expect from the Trump administration?

“Waters of the U.S. will be dead,” Cramer said, referring to the controversial water regulations which have been opposed by the energy and agriculture industries. Cramer said he also expected to see federal fracking rules, methane rules, and coal regulations to be “pulled back in and fixed” or “killed.”

Here’s our full interview:

[fcc_jw_podcast key=”Qoli5K5H” player-image=”135931″]