Workers at the staging site in Worthing, South Dakota (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
The North Dakota Public Service Commission had been reviewing Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners’ permit for 13 months. The three-member, all-Republican panel long signaled support, saying the pipeline would reduce truck and oil train traffic, cut natural gas flaring and create more markets for the state’s oil and gas. The commission voted 2-0 to approve the permit; Commissioner Randy Christmann abstained because his mother-in-law has been negotiating an easement for the project. Energy Transfer Partners hopes to complete the pipeline by year’s end. The North Dakota’s portion is the longest leg (about 360 miles) and the most expensive ($1.4 billion).