North Dakota residents had a chance to learn about the Dakota Access Pipeline project and get their questions answered at yesterday’s Public Service Commission in Mandan. The project garnered support from a diverse set of stakeholders, from local government officials, to state groups, to landowners. Other supporters included local labor groups as well as members of the greater ND Chamber of Commerce.
One of the residents in attendance, Clark Norton of New Salem, emphasized the role DAPL would play in removing oil from rail:
“I think if we could get some of this off the railroad and put it under ground, I think we would be a lot better off.”
The sentiment was echoed by Wes Gunsch, a Mercer County landowner and county commissioner. He suggested that the pipeline would relieve some congestion on the state’s roads, saying:
“State roads are just deteriorating and we showed get some relief for those roads pipelines are the best way to do it.”
Dwight Wrangham, of the Landowners Association of North Dakota reminded the audience what statistics already prove:
“I believe [the pipeline] is the safest most efficient way to move hundreds of thousands of barrels of North Dakota’s product to market each day.”
Other landowners expressed having positive experiences with land agents contracted by the company. Roger Kaseman, a landowner who signed an easement with the company, told an AP reporter at the event :
“We had a long list of questions concerning safety and liability and the impact on the land long-term. They answered every question in detail and to our satisfaction.”
The Dakota Access Pipeline is a significant piece of the expanding energy infrastructure the Midwest needs to assure its long-term growth and economic success. The MAIN Coalition supports this project and urges the PSC to do the same.