North Dakota borrows $7M for pipeline protest costs

The state's Emergency Commission voted Wednesday to borrow the funds

North Dakota leaders have approved an emergency request to borrow an additional $7 million to cover the cost of law enforcement related to the ongoing protest of the four-state Dakota Access oil pipeline.

The state’s Emergency Commission voted Wednesday to borrow the funds form the state-owned Bank of North Dakota. The commission is a panel of state officials and lawmakers headed by Governor Jack Dalrymple that handles emergency funding requests when the Legislature isn’t in session.

The group earlier approved $10 million in emergency spending.

Officials say the new loan should cover the state’s cost of policing protests over the $3.8 billion pipeline through December.

North Dakota and local governments have shouldered most of the expenses. Dalrymple says requests for reimbursement from the federal government have been unsuccessful so far.