Monday, November 28, 2016

The Standing Rock community in North Dakota face deadly conditions.

The North Dakota Governor has issued an evacuation order for the encampment. The Governor is not issuing orders for police to enforce the order. The order was issued to protect lives. The storm may become so deadly there will be no access for food and water. The encampment needs to move to a safe location for the moment.

November 28, 2016
By Chris Dolce, Brian Donegan, Jonathan Erdman and Linda Lam

Winter Storm Blanche (click here) will continue to bring snow and strong winds to the northern Plains during the first half of this week, leading to poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions at times. Blanche will also spread wintry weather to interior portions of New England, beginning Tuesday....

This evacuation order is no different than one issued for hurricane evacuation. There won't be police to enforce the order. The Standing Rock community needs to be sure they are secure with food and water as well as fuel for some type of warmth or leave the encampment for the time access to emergency services remain in question.

28 November 2016
By Julia Carrie Wong and Sam Levin

Citing concerns about “harsh winter conditions” (click here) and the North Dakota Disaster Act of 1985, Dalrymple said on Monday that all persons at the camp are “ordered to leave the evacuation area immediately, and are further ordered not to return to the evacuation area”.
But Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the North Dakota department of emergency services said, “We will not be using law enforcement or national guard to enforce the order.”
The 1985 law allows the governor to “direct and compel” evacuations “from any stricken or threatened area” in the event of natural or manmade disasters.

Thousands of Native American and environmental activists have gathered at the encampment, which is on Army Corps land just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and close to the site where the Dakota Access pipeline is slated to cross under the Missouri river....