Corps fights tribal request for more pipeline study records

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal officials who permitted the Dakota Access oil pipeline are turning over some documents sought by American Indian tribes suing over the project.

But the Army Corps of Engineers argued in a new court filing Monday that a request for dozens more records is vague and overly broad and should be rejected by a federal judge.

The developer of the pipeline that’s moving North Dakota oil to Illinois also wants the judge to deny the request, saying it’s meritless and will delay a legal battle that’s already lingered nearly three years.

The records relate to a court-ordered Corps study on the pipeline’s impacts on tribes. The Corps determined the pipeline doesn’t unfairly impact minorities.

The tribes dispute the findings and allege the Corps is withholding documents that could bolster their case.