Update On The Dakota Access Pipeline -- August 27, 2016

Updates

August 29, 2016: And now for another perspective: the Dakota Access Pipeline and the "law of Christendom." From Indian Country, TodayMediaNetwork. com.

August 28, 2016: Fortune weighs in on the keystoning of the Dakota Access Pipeline. 
 

Original Post

The Bismarck Tribune story is here.

Don sent me the link. I already posted in my "Top Stories of the Week" that I felt the Dakota Access Pipeline would be keystoned.

After posting that, I got the newest update from Don (at the link). I replied to Don:

My hunch is the Dakota Access Pipeline is dead.

The company made the mistake of beginning to build before all the "i's" were dotted and the "t's" were crossed. If the "easement" is not published, the Federal judge will have no choice but to say "Stop."

And the US Army Corps of Engineers will wait until after the election to write the "easement." By that time, national attention will be such that the US Army Corps of Engineers simply will not want to wade into that political quagmire.

The question is whether the company will build 98% of the pipeline, betting that eventually they will get approval. An expensive bet. But there are ways around it. If that ends up being the only sticking point, they can always re-route the pipeline east of the river, hooking up north of Williston, something they probably should have done in the first place. Interestingly enough, if I read the map correctly, the DAPL actually begins north of the river and then swings west, across the Missouri southwest of Williston, and then goes southeast until it crosses the Missouri again. I can see why they did that, but crossing the Missouri twice seems to be tempting fate.

Although the pipeline would not have swung through the heart of the Bakken (unnecessary with all the pipeline already there), it does not appear the pipeline would have been appreciably longer had it stayed north and east of the river entirely -- and there would have been no increased cost associated with two crossings of the Missouri River. 

The route can be viewed here.

See slide 2 of this presentation.