Army Corps Sued Again for Failing to Protect Waterways, Endangered Wildlife from Pipeline Construction

Environmental groups have sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a permit that fast-tracks oil and gas pipeline construction through wetlands, streams, and rivers across the country. The permit, called Nationwide Permit 12, lets pipeline builders skip the Corps' standard review process for individual projects, meaning many pipeline segments can be built with little or no public notice. The Corps reissued this permit in January without fully studying how it might harm endangered species or water quality, according to the lawsuit, even though a 2020 federal court ruling said the Corps must consult wildlife agencies before using this permit.

The suit, brought by groups including the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Montana Environmental Information Center, argues the Corps is violating the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. The Corps expects this permit to be used about 3,700 times a year, affecting roughly 1,500 acres of U.S. waters over its five-year run. Groups say this threatens drinking water sources, wetlands, and species like sturgeon and migratory birds. One pipeline named in the dispute, the Bridger Pipeline, would cross the Missouri, Yellowstone, and Poplar rivers in Montana.

This is a legal and policy fight over federal pipeline oversight, not a program tied to home energy upgrades or rebates. For homeowners, it mainly matters if you live near a waterway or wetland where new pipeline construction is planned, since it affects how much environmental review those projects get before work begins.