Widening the Power Gap: The Eighth Circuit’s Stringent Requirements for Class Actions in Environmental Contamination Cases

Pipeline construction is booming in the United States, yet it remains a polarizing topic for many because of environmental concerns. On the one hand, pipelines bring increased energy independence for the United States and are one of the safest ways to transport oil and gas.At the same time, fears of environmental damage have led to a growing and fierce opposition to pipeline construction. After the massive offshore rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, resistance to new projects like the Keystone Pipeline has received widespread media coverage. The protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Reservation, in particular, portrayed how high tensions have risen over pipeline construction.

As quieter protests continue across the country against various new and old pipeline constructions and spills, questions about liability and accountability of the oil industry in the future of environmental degradation have largely been left unanswered.