The Trump administration’s early maneuvers regarding the EPA and Waters of the U.S. rule are a clear indication of how it will – or will not – regulate environmental protection. Underscoring these decisions is the revival of Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.
Both executive orders signal a continuation of American dependence on the oil industry despite evidence of the irreversible damage to the earth’s ecology and the health of local communities. As the battle over land and resources intensifies, TIME spoke to nine photographers documenting the oil industry and its impact on the environment and communities living nearby.
Here are their pictures and revealing accounts: A Crude Awakening, A Visual Exploration of the Pipeline Controversy
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Eyewitness Accounts From the Trump Rally Shooting
- Politicians Condemn Trump Rally Shooting: ‘No Place for Political Violence in Our Democracy’
- From 2022: How the Threat of Political Violence Is Transforming America
- ‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town
- Remembering Shannen Doherty , the Quintessential Gen X Girl
- How Often Do You Really Need to Wash Your Sheets?
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Contact us at letters@time.com