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Dakota Access Pipeline workers removed 27 pieces of equipment Tuesday from a site 5 miles southeast of St. Anthony morning without incident.

North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers monitored the site as workers finished the task and at least five private security officials watched.

"We removed damaged equipment in order to get it repaired," said Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for DAPL, who also indicated that nearly 60 percent of the 1,172-mile project is complete.

Removal of the equipment started early in the morning, according to Donnel Preskey, spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department. Before noon, all equipment had been moved from the site just east of Highway 6 and County Road 135. En route to the construction site, pairs of law enforcement vehicles monitored Highway 6 every few miles.

"It just makes sense we have law enforcement present for removal of the equipment," said North Dakota Highway Patrol Lt. Tom Iverson.

"The company has a lot of damaged equipment that they need to do something with," he added. "It cannot just be sitting out in the field. It's just going to go to waste if it's equipment that is not going to run properly."

He said he was uncertain what the future use of the equipment would be.