A natural gas company in Omaha, Nebraska plans to replace an aging pipeline that runs through parts of southeastern South Dakota.
The Northern Natural Gas Company is abandoning 79 miles of existing pipeline that runs from Sioux Falls to Sioux City, Iowa. The company is planning to construct a new pipeline near the existing location.
Mike Loeffler is the director of media relations for the Northern Natural Gas Company. He said that the project is currently in the scrapping phase, where the company and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seeks input from landowners on the project. Loeffler said several open houses with landowners have already taken place.
"What we did, is we did that to minimize impacts on landowners," Loeffler said. "So, it will require the relocation of a small section of the Ponca Branch line. But, most of this pipeline is going to be alongside where the existing pipeline will be abandoned.”
More meetings are scheduled for December 11th in Elk Point and December 12th in Beresford. Those meetings are open to landowners.
The public is also encouraged to write directly to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The project is expected to get full approval by March of 2021 and be finished by the fall.