Although the 570,000-bpd pipeline did begin full operation in 2021, it remained the target of relentless attacks from the environmentalist camp who cited the risk of oil spills and violation of Tribal lands as reasons for their insistence to shut down the infrastructure. The attacks led to additional environmental reviews into the safety of the pipeline and its legality. The lawsuit against Greenpeace began in 2017 when Energy Transfer took the matter to a federal court. That court dismissed the case, so Energy Transfer went to a North Dakota court, which took three weeks to rule on the issue.
