Des Moines, Iowa — The governors of the states through which the Dakota Access Pipeline crosses have authored a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking them to eliminate a roadblock that stands in the way of completing the pipeline.
Pipeline work in our area, in Lyon, Sioux, and O’Brien counties is nearly finished. But the Army Corps has not yet approved the Missouri River crossing in North Dakota.
The letter, from Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, and North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple is addressed to the Army Corps District Commanders responsible for oversight of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The letter calls for the Army Corps of Engineers to “adhere to the process which was in place when this project began as you make the decision to issue the final federal easement required for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River in North Dakota.”
It says that further delay in issuing the easement will “negatively impact our states and our citizens. Construction delays will negatively impact landowners and farmers who will risk having multiple growing seasons impacted by construction activities. It is in the best interest of all parties to mitigate any further negative impacts.”
