By Valerie Volcovici and Ernest Scheyder WASHINGTON/HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will grant the final permit needed to finish the Dakota Access Pipeline, a controversial project to move oil quickly to the U.S. Gulf Coast that sparked protests by Native American tribes and climate activists. In a Tuesday court filing in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., the U.S. Army said it would grant an easement to tunnel under Lake Oahe, a reservoir that is part of the Missouri River, allowing completion of the last remaining unfinished stretch of the line. Reversing the position of predecessor President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump issued an executive order days after being sworn in on Jan. 20 that directed the Corps to smooth the path to finishing the line.
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