The amount of $15,000 isn’t much when compared to the $3.8 billion cost of building what has become the controversial Dakota Access pipeline. But it’s the amount the North Dakota Public Service Commission is proposing to fine Dallas based Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the line from North Dakota to South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.
The reason for the fine? The Commission says a subsidiary of ETP failed to get approval from the state to move ahead with construction after artifacts including stone cairns were found last month in the targeted zone of construction.
Instead, the company changed the course of construction so the artifacts were not disturbed. Even the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office agreed with the option. But the Public Service Commission maintains ETP’s subsidiary should still have asked for clearance from regulators.
An ETP spokeswoman said the company doesn’t believe it did anything wrong but is cooperating with the Public Service Commission.