GAIN Coalition Statement on Iowa Supreme Court DAPL Ruling
Today, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled state regulators properly granted use of eminent domain for the Dakota Access Pipeline. The decision allows the pipeline, which has been safely transporting crude oil for two years, to continue to operate – concluding a multi-year challenge from landowners and activists. The ruling also reaffirms that oil pipelines qualify for Iowa’s eminent domain laws.
The 1,172 mile underground crude oil pipeline was completed in 2017 and transports 470,000 barrels per day. The pipeline begins in the Bakken formation in North Dakota, traverses South Dakota and Iowa, and terminates at a distribution hub in Illinois. The pipeline has helped accommodate record production in the Bakken – which produces 1.4 million barrels per day.
Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:
“We applaud the sensible decision coming from the Iowa Supreme Court today. It’s critical that companies that invest billions of dollars in large scale infrastructure projects have the regulatory certainty that the laws on the books mean something – and that they can feel confident that if they follow those laws and regulations projects can be completed and become operational.”