Governor Branstad says the Iowa Highway Patrol will be available to help local law enforcement police a planned protest against the controversial Bakken Crude Oil Pipeline.
Critics threaten to engage in civil disobedience Wednesday to stop construction at a rural Boone County location.
At his weekly news conference Branstad, says the Iowa Highway Patrol protects the safety and well-being of Iowans.
“Whether it is at the State Fair or on the highways or wherever it might be,” Branstad says.
Branstad says the Iowa Utilities Board has made its ruling approving the pipeline, and he urges critics to let construction workers get back on the job.
He adds it’s too early to talk about sending out the National Guard if things turn rough Wednesday.
"We are going to do what is necessary to protect people and to make sure the workers and the people who are doing their jobs are able to do so,” Branstad says.
We will be leading direct action in Boone County
Critics cite concerns about landowner rights and the environment.
“We will be leading direct action in Boone County,” says Ed Fallon with an organization known as Bold Iowa.
When complete, the pipeline will transport as much as half-a-billion barrels of crude oil daily from North Dakota to a distribution hub in Illinois.
Earlier this year, arsonists damaged other construction sites along the 18-county route through Iowa.
A lawsuit is still pending challenging the company’s authority to take over private land.
