This week the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission voted to grant a permit to Energy Transfer Partners to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. The line will carry oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa and end up in Illinois. Dakota Rural Action member Tony Helland of Sioux Falls says eminent domain concerns were not addressed in the permit. However, he says they’ll work to change state eminent domain laws going forward.

He says his group and others opposed the pipeline permit partially due to eminent domain issues and those were brought up by Commissioner Gary Hanson.

Helland says some landowners concerns were addressed with the permit requirements including making sure Energy Transfer Partners does proper reclamation and protects drainage tiles that may be damaged.

He says those protections were included along with 40 other stipulations Energy Transfer Partners must meet to keep the permit for their project.