BISMARCK - The Keystone Pipeline inched toward its construction phase in North Dakota on Friday when the Public Service Commission examined a 27-page draft of a proposed permitting order.
The draft dictates construction specifications for the 30-inch crude oil pipeline, spells out how the company must compensate for damages and reclaim land after construction and who is responsible in case of a leak. The pipe will be buried no less than six feet underground.
TransCanada Keystone Pipeline hopes to begin construction on its 218-mile section in North Dakota in May, working with two crews. It is to enter the state near Walhalla and exit near Cogswell. It is part of a line that would run from a crude oil hub at Hardisty, Alberta, to refineries in Illinois.
The crude oil pipeline's go-ahead to start construction is still weeks away.
The three-member commission sent its staff back to work Friday to draw up a second draft that will be reviewed on Feb. 4. It's possible the commission may take action on a final draft on Feb. 13. Susan Wefald, president of the commission, said it could take more than one more work session to reach the final version.
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The draft says, among many other conditions, that if Keystone's project damages anyone's water wells, the company must find a new safe, permanent water supply. If farming practices over the top of or near the line cause a leak, farmers will have no responsibility to mitigate the damage. The company alone takes on that duty, according to the draft.
Cole works for Forum Communications Co., which owns The Forum. She can be reached at (701) 224-0830 or forumcap@btinet.net
