Greenpeace fires back at energy transfer with report documenting hundreds of oil spills after losing $345 million lawsuit

After facing intense legal scrutiny in a North Dakota courtroom earlier this year, environmental organization Greenpeace is now turning the tables on the pipeline company that successfully sued them for $345 million. In a new report released Wednesday, Greenpeace detailed what it calls a troubling pattern of environmental incidents by Energy Transfer, the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.

The report alleges that Energy Transfer has reported hundreds of oil spills to federal regulators in recent years, alongside numerous gas releases and air pollution violations. Greenpeace’s investigation appears to be a strategic counter-offensive following the massive legal judgment against the organization, which stemmed from the group’s opposition to pipeline projects.

The timing of Greenpeace’s report is significant, coming months after Energy Transfer prevailed in court over claims related to the environmental group’s activism campaigns. The lawsuit was part of a broader trend of energy companies using legal action to challenge environmental organizations’ protest activities. Now, Greenpeace is shifting focus from defending its own actions to scrutinizing the environmental track record of its legal opponent.

This development highlights the ongoing tension between environmental advocates and fossil fuel infrastructure companies, with both sides using different tactics—legal challenges and investigative reports—to advance their positions. The report raises questions about pipeline safety and environmental compliance while demonstrating how legal victories in one arena don’t necessarily end conflicts between environmental groups and energy companies.