Iowa Regulators Approve Proposal to Double Capacity of DAPL
The Des Moines Register reported the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) last week issued approval for the proposed increased capacity and optimization of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which will double the amount of oil that passes through Iowa from 570,000 barrels per day (bpd) up to 1.1 million bpd. DAPL has been safely transporting crude oil from North Dakota to the Patoka Oil Terminal in southern Illinois for nearly three years. Furthermore, optimization offers a welcomed opportunity to safely and efficiently increase access to American oil by investing in existing infrastructure.
The state regulators had requested additional information about the safety of the expansion in January, and ultimately determined that “the increased capacity will not have a significant effect on the safety of the pipeline.”
The entirety of the Dakota Access Optimization proposal includes no new pipeline construction, only the construction of three pump stations – located in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Illinois respectively – and modifications to an existing facility in Iowa. Regulators in North Dakota, South Dakota and now Iowa have approved the proposal, as the project awaits a decision from Illinois regulators.
Craig Stevens, spokesman for Grow American’s Infrastructure Now, summed up Friday’s decision stating:
“The GAIN Coalition applauds the Iowa Utilities Board for approving the optimization of the Dakota Access Pipeline in Iowa. With today’s decision, DAPL Optimization is one step closer to allowing more American-produced crude oil to move to market and meet our country’s growing energy needs. The project will support high-skilled jobs and ensure the safe transportation of American oil. Pipelines like Dakota Access are some of the most heavily regulated, technologically advanced, and monitored infrastructure projects in the country.”
