Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined a 26-state coalition in urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow oil and gas to continue flowing through the Dakota Access pipeline. The coalition, led by Iowa, has sent a letter to the Corps expressing their opposition to the proposed alternatives that would require shutting down, digging up, or building additional miles for the pipeline.
The Dakota Access pipeline has been in operation for over six years, safely transporting oil from North Dakota to Illinois. It has created thousands of jobs and generated property tax revenue that supports essential services such as schools, hospitals, and emergency response. However, the future of the pipeline is uncertain due to a small section of the route running under federal land.
Attorney General Miyares criticized the federal government for creating unnecessary problems instead of focusing on more pressing issues. He stated, "Washington should be focusing on lowering the cost of living, increasing public safety, and improving the quality of life for all Americans - not intentionally creating problems to fix something that isn't broken."
The proposed alternatives to the Dakota Access pipeline would have significant negative consequences for the states involved. It would create a cargo crisis by diverting oil to trucks and rail, requiring hundreds of trains and thousands of tanker trucks to transport the oil. This diversion would not only hurt farmers by raising food prices and causing a shortage of transportation for agricultural goods, but it would also result in potential property tax losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
The coalition of 26 states, including Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming, raises concerns about federalism and their limited ability to protect themselves from the risk of more frequent spills by using alternative transportation methods.
It is clear that the continuation of the Dakota Access pipeline is crucial for the economic stability of these states. The coalition's letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emphasizes the importance of maintaining the pipeline's operations and highlights the potential detrimental effects of the proposed alternatives.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and the 26-state coalition are united in their efforts to preserve the Dakota Access pipeline and ensure its continued contribution to job creation, revenue generation, and the overall well-being of their respective states.
For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/2655-december-13-2023-attorney-general-miyares-joins-26-state-coalition-urging-continuation-of-dakota-access