Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests

A North Dakota jury has ruled that Greenpeace must pay $667 million in damages to pipeline company Energy Transfer for its role in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The verdict, delivered after two days of deliberations, holds the environmental group accountable for defamation, trespassing, and conspiracy related to 2016-2017 demonstrations near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

The ruling includes more than $400 million in punitive damages, intended to penalize Greenpeace for its alleged role in funding protesters and spreading misinformation about the pipeline. Energy Transfer lawyers argued that Greenpeace’s actions were “violent and destructive,” while Greenpeace maintained that the lawsuit was an attack on free speech and vowed to appeal.

The Dakota Access Pipeline, which began construction in 2016 and was completed in 2017, transports roughly 40% of North Dakota’s oil production. The project sparked fierce protests from environmental and tribal advocacy groups, who argued that it could pollute local water sources and exacerbate climate change.

With an appeal on the horizon, the legal battle over one of the most controversial pipeline projects in U.S. history is far from over.