Federal officials granted final approval for the Dakota Access oil pipeline to continue operating its controversial Missouri River crossing, nearly a decade after major protests against the project drew international attention.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a key easement that allows the pipeline to keep moving crude beneath Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the river. 

The decision imposes new conditions on the pipeline, including enhanced leak detection, expanded groundwater monitoring, and third-party safety evaluations.

The announcement concludes years of regulatory and legal reviews, though further litigation remains likely.

"The Corps is decisively putting years of delays to rest," Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle said in a statement.

The $3.8 billion pipeline has operated since 2017, transporting roughly 540,000 barrels of oil per day from North Dakota’s Bakken region to Illinois, accounting for about 4% of total U.S. daily oil production.

With the pipeline crossing the river just upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation, the tribe has long opposed the project, fearing a spill could contaminate its water supply and damage cultural sites. 

In 2016 and 2017, the massive protests led to hundreds of arrests and ongoing legal battles.

Standing Rock officials criticized Thursday's decision, pledging to continue fighting the project in federal court.

"Today’s decision merely restates past conclusions and represents a pattern of minimizing and rejecting Tribal expertise," the tribe said.

Pipeline developer Energy Transfer welcomed the easement, calling the infrastructure critical to the nation's energy security. State officials, including North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, also applauded the decision.

In a statement, the Corps said its review balanced public safety and environmental protection with energy needs. The agency chose the easement option over alternatives that included rerouting the line or shutting it down entirely.

The decision comes as Energy Transfer and Enbridge consider a separate proposal to connect additional infrastructure, potentially adding 250,000 daily barrels of Canadian crude to the Dakota Access system.