MANDAN – Nearly a decade after a group of protestors were in western North Dakota to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the fight continues.
Despite a judge handing down a ruling that Greenpeace is to pay Energy Transfer Partners $660 million in damages for its alleged role, no actual resolution has been reached in the case. That trial lasted three weeks before the judge – James Gion – got the verdict from the nine-person jury: Greenpeace was liable on all counts – aiding criminal acts, trespass, nuisance and defamation.
On May 28, 2025, Greenpeace petitioned for reversal, arguing the jury sought to “punish someone” for the unrest, with damages exceeding statutory caps and riddled with inconsistencies. Attorneys Steven Caplow and Marty Garbus called it the “poster child” for judicial intervention, noting the award could bankrupt U.S. operations. ETP’s counsel Trey Cox countered that it aligned with evidence, including documents linking Greenpeace staff to attacks. Separately, Greenpeace International countersued ETP in the Netherlands under a new EU anti-SLAPP directive, effective May 2024, seeking to void the $132 million portion against it.
North Dakota’s Supreme Court denied a venue change in June 2025, and as of October 2025, post-trial motions linger without resolution.
