Iowans Host Broken Heartland Rally at Capitol in Protest of Bakken Pipeline
Broken Heartland quilt–the black path symbolizes the Bakken pipeline’s path across Iowa. Photo: Kaylynn Strain
There were 100Grannies for a Fossil-Free Future, there were children who were concerned about their future, and there were regular folks just plain mad that a Fortune 500 Texas oil company was allowed to put a 30 inch for-profit flammable crude oil pipeline across the middle of Iowa, as a “public utility”.
On June 6, 2016, at the granite map of Iowa on the Iowa Capitol grounds, over 100 people rallied in objection to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) decision that day allowing Dakota Access LLC to start construction on the pipeline, despite the previously-set IUB condition that all permits be obtained before starting construction.
Broken Heartland rally Photo: Kaylynn Strain
Next to a 41 x 60′ patchwork “Broken Heartland” overlaying the granite map of Iowa counties, with the 18 route counties in black, seven Iowans shared their stories of why this pipeline project is wrong. Since the pipeline route crosses seven major waterways, they shared concerns for Iowa, its water and its ecological systems.
The Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition, with member organizations Bold Iowa and Iowa CCI, organized the spirited event which featured frequent chants and plenty of honks from passersby who read the signs and responded to the messages:
Brenda Brink, creator of Broken Heartland quilt, speaks at rally. Photo: Daenna Newkirk
NO BAKKEN, No Oil in Our Soil, and “Listen to the People Talkin’, We Don’t Want No Dirty Bakken!”
To date, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE) has not issued their permit.
The Coalition continues to assert that because this pipeline cannot operate without all the segments, meaning none of the segments have “independent utility”, that the US ACE needs to do a full Environmental Impact Statement, and, ultimately, to deny Dakota Access the ability to put this risky pipeline across our Broken Heartland of Iowa.