The Register published an op-ed Feb. 23 written by Paul Cienfuegos, an Oregon-based community activist who preaches an anti-government, sovereign citizen message in response to the Iowa Utilities Board permitting discussions on the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Cienfuegos claims this issue can be resolved, to his satisfaction at least, by individual counties and cities taking action of their own. Nothing can be further from the truth or the law in Iowa. Iowa’s own attorney general has stated that though counties and local communities can enact local ordinances they cannot be in conflict with state law. Furthermore, as representatives of the people of Iowa, the General Assembly, has granted the authority to regulate pipelines in this state to the IUB. It is well within the legal purview of the board to oversee the open and orderly process that has led to the final permitting discussions on the Dakota Access Pipeline.
For a year and a half, the IUB has presented multiple opportunities for public input and held information-gathering sessions involving all stakeholders in the project. Comments have been submitted, testimonies given, and information has been gathered. Now is not the time for that orderly procedure and lawful action to be abandoned and unjustifiably stirred up by an out-of-state environmental activist, which would be an insult to the hard work the dedicated public servants at the IUB have done to ensure they have all the facts and information to make an informed decision.
