The Latest: Standing Rock leader heralds pipeline decision

CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) — The Latest on the protest against the construction of the final section of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. (all times local):

9:50 a.m.

The leader of the Standing Rock Sioux says the tribe "will be forever grateful to the Obama administration" for the Army Corps of Engineers' decision to refuse to allow the construction of a pipeline under a North Dakota reservoir.

Chairman Dave Archambault says he hopes Dakota Access pipeline developer, Energy Transfer Partners, and the incoming Trump administration will respect that decision.

The Corps denied an easement for construction of the section of the pipeline Sunday. Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy said the company must consider alternative routes.

The tribe believes the pipeline threatens drinking water and cultural sites. Archambault says the Corps' decision "took tremendous courage."

ETP says the decision was politically motivated. The company continues to seek permission for the crossing from a federal judge.

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9:30 a.m.

An industry group supporting the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline is hoping President-Elect Donald Trump clears the way for its completion.

The MAIN Coalition is made up of agriculture, business and labor entities that benefit from Midwest infrastructure projects. It says the Army Corps of Engineers' decision Sunday to deny a permit for construction under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota is "arrogance that working class Americans soundly rejected on Nov. 8."

The group says it hopes pipeline supporter Trump will take action once he takes office in January.

The Standing Rock Sioux say the pipeline threatens the tribe's water supply and cultural sites. The human rights organization Amnesty International praised the Corps' decision, saying "indigenous voices must not be ignored."

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7:50 a.m.

The president of the National Congress of American Indians says an Army Corps of Engineers decision to deny a permit for the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota is a victory for "all of Indian Country."

Brian Cladoosby says the denial of an easement for a crossing beneath a Missouri River reservoir shows "respect for tribal sovereignty and a true government-to-government relationship."

The Standing Rock Sioux and its supporters say the $3.8 billion pipeline threatens the tribe's water source and cultural sites.

Pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners says the Corps' decision is politically motivated. The segment under the river is the only remaining big chunk of construction on the 1,200-mile pipeline to carry North Dakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois.

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1:19 a.m.

Oil pipeline protesters are pledging to remain camped on federal land in North Dakota, despite a favorable government ruling and an imminent deadline to leave.

Monday's government-imposed deadline for the protesters to depart the property comes a day after the Army Corps of Engineers refused to let the company extend the pipeline beneath a Missouri River reservoir.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters argue that extending the project beneath Lake Oahe would threaten the tribe's water source and cultural sites. The segment is the last major sticking point for the four-state, $3.8 billion project.

Despite the deadline, authorities say they won't forcibly remove the protesters.

The company constructing the pipeline, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, released a statement Sunday night slamming the Army Corps' decision as politically motivated.

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The Gayly - 12/5/2016 @ 10:22 a.m. CST.