BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A judge's ruling that might open the door for at least a temporary shutdown of the disputed Dakota Access pipeline surprised the industry that hailed the project as a "game changer" for North Dakota oil.
But North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness says shippers aren't concerned that there will be any long-term disruption to the pipeline that began moving oil this month.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Wednesday ruled that federal officials "largely complied" with environmental law when approving the pipeline but didn't adequately consider some matters important to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
Boasberg will decide later whether the pipeline should be shut down while that's remedied. Pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners says it believes officials properly evaluated the disputed issues. It says pipeline operations continue.