South Dakotans unite in fight for unspoiled land

Proponents see economic boost in proposed pipeline;

opponents say a spill is inevitable

Over 300 people packed a conference room at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls on Thursday evening, Jan. 22. All were present to voice opposition or praise for a proposed project currently before the state’s public utilities commissioners, the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The 1,134-mile long pipeline would stretch from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to a refinery in Illinois, passing through South Dakota and Iowa along the way. The line would pass through 13 counties in S.D.

Two proposed routes have been filed so far with the PUC by the company behind the project, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. The first had the pipeline going through an area ripe for development at Interstate 29 and 85th Street. Amid complaints about the choice in location, a second proposed route, which would take the pipe further to the south and west, near the perimeter of Tea, was filed.

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