Pipeline may be harmful to state

To the editor:

I am worried about taxpayer costs and clean water for us, farms and animals. If you are concerned, too, then worry about the crude oil potential leaks into waterways from the Dakota pipeline that is to be approved soon. The Iowa Utilities Board Docket No. HLP-2014-0001 does not require an environmental-impact statement, just proof of need to 'promote the public convenience and necessity” for Iowa.

The company will need to use eminent domain to acquire this pipeline land. When the company is from out of state and just crossing Iowa, this pipeline does not 'promote the public convenience and necessity” for Iowans.

The pipeline would cross eight major northern Iowa rivers, a major aquifer and the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. I understand that there have been over 10,000 leaks of oil of some sort in the past 20 years. But, Iowa Code Section 479B says the company is only responsible up to $250,000 for breaks or leaks. Alaska worries about leaks enough to require $50 million as a surety bond. The Kalamazoo River leak in Michigan in 2010 cost $1.2 billion. The company states their safety plan list is 'no leaks.” Iowa taxpayers must pay the cleanup cost. A few temporary construction jobs is not worth the cost in dollars and clean water.

Contact the Iowa Utilities Board and U.S. Corp of Engineers and tell them Iowans are smarter than accepting this bad proposal.

Judith Pfohl

Iowa City