Associated Press
DES MOINES / IOWA – A Native American tribe’s water source is one of a few critical sources that could be affected if there was a breach in the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
The four-state $3.8 billion pipeline crosses more than 200 water bodies, including the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which are water sources for a half-million customers in the Des Moines, Iowa, area.
The CEO of the area’s utility says he has emergency plans to deal with leaks and he will review pipeline inspection reports regularly.
It also crosses the Mississippi River, which is a water source for 4,000 people in southeast Iowa.
Pipeline builder Energy Transfer Partners says the project will be constantly monitored and the company can shut off emergency valves remotely at any time.
The Standing Rock dispute resulted from changes in the pipeline route that Fargo, N.D. citizens insisted on, citing similar concerns as Iowans.
