Thursday, more than 80 protesters from a dozen Iowa groups opposed to the Bakken oil pipeline project protested outside the Iowa Utilities Board’s office. Energy Transfer Partners of Texas is proposing a pipeline that crosses North and South Dakota and Iowa ending up in Illinois. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Organizer Nathan Malachowski says the Utilities Board is rushing the process.

Malachowski says the final public hearing concerning the pipeline is set for November 12. He says most of the concerns ICCI and other groups opposed to the project have center around eminent domain and safety.

Another major concern is there are no real environmental protections in Iowa state law for a spill.

ICCI brought a box of more than 1000 objections to the Utilities Board. The group is also providing their objections to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which has to sign off on the project.