On the first day of the Iowa Utilities Board public hearing to review the application of the Dakota Access Pipeline, members of the MAIN Coalition gathered in the Boone County Fairgrounds to demonstrate their support for the project and the emphasize the benefits that the $3.9 billion investment will bring for the state of Iowa.
“Our nation’s energy infrastructure is in need of an investment like the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline,” said Ed Wiederstein, chairman of the MAIN coalition and former president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.
“Pipelines are needed to support our country’s growing energy independence, this pipeline will benefit local communities, our state, and our country.”
Members of the business, agriculture, and labor communities have united together to support of the project, citing the 2,000- 4,000 jobs the project would create for the duration of construction, the economic stimulus that the project would provide for Midwestern equipment manufacturing companies, and the reduction in oil shipped by rail.
“These types of projects need to be carefully considered by the Iowa Utilities Board,” urged Mike Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.
“We need a healthy, respectful, and fact-based discussion of this project. I am confident the IUB will recognize the benefit Iowans will see from the construction and operation of this pipeline. Our state relies on a growing business community to drive our economy. This project will be another great addition to our state.”
The IUB hearing is slated to start today and end on December 4th
Click here for a copy of the press release.