Judge denies Iowa landowners' request to halt pipeline work

DES MOINES — A district court judge Monday denied a request by Iowa landowners to immediately halt construction of a $3.8 billion oil pipeline on 15 parcels of their land, saying they first must talk to state regulators.

A state law written in 1998 said the Iowa Utilities Board must consider such a request before the court can weigh in, District Court Judge Jeffrey Farrell said in his order. The landowners have sued, saying the board does not have the authority to give Texas oil company Dakota Access the right to forcefully condemn private farmland under eminent domain.

The landowners want to stop Dakota Access, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, from digging trenches on their land until the courts can determine whether the board’s application of eminent domain is legal. The planned 1,168-mile pipeline would cut through Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“It’s disappointing but not really unexpected,” landowner Richard Lamb said of the judge’s decision.

Read more: http://www.thehawkeye.com/ap/state/judge-denies-iowa-landowners-request-to-halt-pipeline-work/article_02da9a6e-9c2f-5075-b160-1796f2c04774.html