This Thursday, members of North Dakota’s Public Service Commission will hold the first of three hearings on the Dakota Access Pipeline, in Mandan. As the editorial board of The Bismarck Tribune noted, the DAPL project is of vital importance to the economy of North Dakota and our region.
North Dakota’s energy abundance has created challenges for getting these resources to consumers. Oil by rail and tanker trucks simply cannot be solely relied upon to provide transportation of volatile crude. The Midwest has had a glaring lack of a safe and reliable means of transporting energy resources. As the Tribune opined:
For years state and industry officials have lobbied for the need for more pipelines to carry oil out of the Bakken. The goal of the pipelines is to take pressure off railroads and trucks and provide a safer way to move oil.
The Tribune has in the past and continues to support pipelines as a safe alternative for moving oil from the Bakken.
The $3.7 billion investment that is the Dakota Access Pipeline would provide exactly the capacity that many in the state have wanted. As the Tribune’s editorial board mentioned, the project would employ the latest safety technology and commit the company building the pipeline to use land reclamation experts and develop a land mitigation plan.
We encourage the timely review of this application and urge that the Public Service Commission proceed in approving this project.