As Dakota Access officials stated several times, landowner protection is one of the top concerns as the construction of the pipeline is set to begin later this year. One of the measures designed to protect valuable farmland is the use of mats, or long wooden beams, which are laid on the ground prior to construction to prevent damage to the land below from heavy construction machinery.
The Huron Plainsman reported that shipments of mats have been arriving outside of Huron recently:
Semi trucks bringing the mats to Huron — one of three operational bases being established in South Dakota — are being kept off residential streets. Instead, they are directed to the stockpile site via the west truck route.
It is keeping the trucks with their heavy loads off residential roads so they are not torn up.
When all of the mats are here, their number will be in the range of 12,000 to 15,000.
The Plainsman also reported that between 500 and 600 jobs will be created in the Huron area during the construction period.
Read the full article here.