Iowa regulator approves Dakota Access’ $3.7bn Bakken Oil pipeline project in US

The Iowa Utilities Board has voted 2-1 to approve the request put forth by Dakota Access to start construction of the $3.7bn Bakken Oil pipeline in areas outside the US Army Corps jurisdiction.

General Counsel will prepare an order for the board’s review, which will not be final until it has been approved, signed and issued by them.

The board also issued an order on 3 May and an order accepting compliance filings and issuing permit on 8 April this year.

The Bakken Pipeline is a 1,134 mile-long underground oil pipeline project for crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in Northwest North Dakota, through South Dakota, Iowa and to end in Patoka, Illinois.

Energy Transfer Partners subsidary Dakota Access has been planning to construct the pipeline and submitted its plan to the board on 29 October 2014, as well as applied for a permit on 20 January last year.

The board granted the permit including the use of eminent domain in March this year.

A final decision given by the board on 10 March this year imposed terms and conditions on Dakota Access that must be satisfied before the granting of the permit.

The pipeline will run from the Northwestern North Dakota Bakken formation and Three Forks hydrofracturing sites beginning in Stanley, North Dakota, in a Southeastward direction and end in Patoka, Illinois.

Hazardous liquids pipeline permit cases are governed by Iowa Code chapter 479B and Utilities Board rules at 199 IAC chapters 13.