Supervisors Approve Letter Of Intent With Inspection Firm, Prepare For Pipeline Project

The proposed oil pipeline that would cut through 18 counties in Iowa is still not a done deal. But Mahaska County is making sure it’s prepared in case the project gets the green light.

That’s why on Monday the board of supervisors unanimously agreed to a letter of intent with a Midwest engineering firm, I&S Group. County Engineer Dave Shanahan says the work involved with the pipeline project requires extensive inspection and recommended partnering up with ISG to maintain consistency across the counties.

Groups Petition Iowa Regulators to Support Pipeline

The Laborers International Union and other groups rallied at the Iowa Utilities Board offices in Des Moines Monday to show their support for the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline.  It would cut through dozens of counties from northwest to southeast Iowa to transport oil from the Baaken oil fields in North Dakota to a terminal in southern Illinois.

The laborers provided the board with dozens of letters with the message that the pipeline would means hundreds of jobs for workers in the state.

Construction workers delivered hundreds of letters to board

Construction workers delivered hundreds of letters to the Iowa Utilities Board Monday.

The letters are in support of the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Workers said during a news conference Monday morning that they want the jobs that the project will create. Laborers’ International Union of North America members and leaders took part in the event.

Iowa Counties Hire Engineers to Oversee Proposed Pipeline

At least three Iowa counties have hired engineers to oversee the installation of a proposed underground oil pipeline, pending its approval.

Webster County on Tuesday approved the hire of an engineer to survey the pipeline’s construction if approved by the Iowa Board of Utilities. Dakota Access, LLC, a unit of Energy Transfer Partners, applied in January for the structure that would cut through 18 Iowa counties.

Iowa Utilities Board Says Pipeline Notice Was Sufficient

The Iowa Utilities Board ruled this week that Dakota Access, LLC, substantially complied with Iowa law when it notified landowners of its plans to seek a permit to build an oil pipeline across their property. Because the legally-required newspaper notice erroneously stated that the pipeline would be buried under 60 inches of soil, instead of under 48 inches of soil (which is the actual plan), an environmental coalition (including the Sierra Club) challenged the validity of the notice in a January 5, 2015, “Motion for Clarification.” The coalition alleged that Dakota Access should have to send proper notice and then reschedule all of its public informational meetings in the impacted counties. The coalition sought to have any further action placed on hold until the new notice was provided and the meetings were held.

Expanding Infrastructure Brings Diverse Benefits, Broad Support

Ideal economic development projects do more than create jobs and spark local and regional investment. While those factors are crucial – and indeed, economic development projects and infrastructure expansion have helped our region to create tens of thousands of jobs and have led to billions in private investment – they are not the end of the story.

It is important, when weighing the merits of one project or another, to look closely at the factors that reach beyond economic impact and job creation – to gain a careful understanding of the big picture as it relates to the project’s impact.

It is this careful examination that’s led us to start the MAIN coalition.

Led by the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, we are a collection of entities from all sectors of the Midwest economy that has recognized the importance of expanding our region’s critical infrastructure through projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline. Our membership is diverse, representing statewide organized labor groups, state Chambers of Commerce, agriculture groups and farmers, trade associations, economic development authorities, and individual businesses and landowners from North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois.

Those of us from the business and industry community recognize the immediate impact that this level of investment will have on our local and regional investment landscape, and we appreciate the fact that this project will be created without a dime of cost to taxpayers.

The farmers and agricultural groups among us support this project because of what it will mean for our sector’s bottom line, keeping energy prices and input costs low and making the shipment of our ag products more affordable thanks to reduced strain on the region’s rail network.

And the labor leaders that helped to convene this coalition support the project because it will create thousands of jobs for local laborers – living-wage jobs that will help our members to feed their families and support their communities.

Our reasons for supporting this project are diverse, but we’re joined by a common belief that the construction of this project is the right move for the communities in which we live and work. We believe that pipelines are the most efficient and most environmentally sound means of transporting the fossil energy that we need to keep our region competitive.

We also believe that the future of this project should be decided on its merits, and should hinge on a clear discussion of the facts rather than an ongoing exchange of talking points and rhetoric.

We’re eager to be a part of this debate, and to articulate the many reasons that our members – from truckers and hotel owners to farmers and laborers – want to see this project move forward.

Pipeline projects boost U.S. infrastructure

America’s energy independence has brought new economic opportunities to our communities. As our nation strives to rid ourselves of the influence of foreign oil, infrastructure projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline make sense for our economy and energy future.

As an operator of 178 miles of pipeline in South Dakota, the South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline Co. understands the need for such projects and the benefits of transporting energy through pipelines. We use these products to heat our homes, power our vehicles and drive our economy. By transporting energy through pipelines, our communities are made safer. Risks from major disasters such as a recent oil train derailment in West Virginia will not be endangering the safety of our communities.

Pipelines are the safest transporting method we have. Through rigorous design specifications and monitoring, to the regulations from local, state, and federal authorities, pipelines are heavily regulated and inspected to minimize environmental impacts. The benefits this project will bring includes increased business for the many hotels, restaurants and local businesses along the route in addition to annual tax revenue that will assist our school districts and other projects.

Improved energy infrastructure projects will only benefit our economy while helping to reduce our dependence on foreign energy. The Dakota Access Pipeline and other energy projects are critical for our state and nation moving forward.

Local agronomists to help land owners

Recent discussions regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline have raised important questions from landowners about agricultural impact during and after construction of the proposed project.

These questions are vital to the process surrounding this or any infrastructure project, as they help to ensure that economic development happens in a balanced manner that also prioritizes stewardship of the land.

Dakota Access Pipeline: Construction

The construction of a new crude oil pipeline from North Dakota to southern Illinois is expected to create as many as 12,000 construction jobs. A majority of those jobs are expected to go to union workers, which has local labor eager to get to work.

Ryan Drew has been following the progress of the proposed Dakota Access pipeline – a project of Energy Transfer Crude Oil Company, LLC, a Texas based company.

Iowa Poll: Iowans back energy projects, but oppose eminent domain

A majority of Iowans support plans for a crude oil pipeline in Iowa and a wind electricity transmission line project, but they overwhelmingly oppose the use of eminent domain for both projects, according to a new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll.

Fifty-seven percent of Iowans favor the proposed Bakken oil pipeline, which would cross 343 miles through Iowa while transporting North Dakota crude oil to Illinois. Thirty-two percent are opposed, and 11 percent are not sure.