The debate continues in the Northern Plains as to whether or not the Dakota Access Pipeline will be approved. Project developers want to ship Bakken crude oil from North Dakota across South Dakota, Iowa and then into Illinois. One group supporting the project is the Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now. Chairing the organization is former Iowa Farm Bureau President, Ed Wiederstein of Audobon who says Dakota Access has several direct benefits.
Wiederstein says there are indirect impacts from the project as well. He says it’s a safer way of transporting oil than other methods.
He says the Dakota Acccess pipeline is being built with the state of the art equipment and has the technology to be able to avoid environmental problems.
While Wiederstein’s group supports the project, an Iowa environmental group has turned in several petition signatures opposing it. A decision on the pipeline isn’t expected until late this fall.