A Des Moines law firm representing landowners is asking a judge to temporarily delay the construction of the Bakken oil pipeline across Iowa.
The Davis Brown Law firm represents 14 landowners in Boone, Webster, Wapello, Cherokee, Calhoun, Mahaska and Story counties, and says the construction of the pipeline should be stopped on their land until a lawsuit over whether the company can use eminent domain to acquire land is decided.
The Iowa Utilities Board ruled Dakota Access can use eminent domain to gain the land it needs for the pipeline, and construction started in July. The lawsuit says the IUB misinterpreted the law.
The latest filing says the owners of the land would be irreparably harmed if the construction is allowed to go ahead before the eminent domain issue is decided. It asks for an expedited ruling.