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(NAPSI)—On March 5th and 6th the Illinois Commerce Commission will gather to consider the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) Optimization plan to increase crude oil throughput of the pipeline. Safely operating since 2017, Dakota Access has an important footprint in Illinois. Construction of the initial pipeline relied on the skill of Illinois’ labor unions and plans for the optimization also include the use of skilled labor.

With Illinois playing host to the Patoka Oil Terminal, the second-largest pipeline terminal in the Midwest, the state serves as a center point to the region’s energy security and needs. Importantly, Dakota Access Optimization is the type of energy project that has the broad support of Illinoisans across the state.

A recent statewide poll found nearly two-thirds of Illinois residents support optimization of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Nearly 85 percent of residents recognize the important role it plays in contributing millions of dollars in state and local taxes to help fund schools, social services, and other emergency services. The vast majority of residents, 84 percent, believe the pipeline is a safer means of transportation of energy resources compared to the alternatives of truck and rail.

The poll also found broad, bipartisan support for the energy industry across the state. In fact, nearly 9 out of 10 respondents believe the industry plays an important role in the state’s economy. Furthermore, 92 percent of Illinoisans reported it was important the United States produce all of its own energy and become more energy independent. The energy industry already plays an important role in the state with Illinois employing more than 110,000 workers in the energy industry and projects like Dakota Access Optimization can help do more.

If approved, Dakota Access Optimization would install a new pump station along the pipeline’s route in Illinois, without any new mainline construction or added mileage. Pump station construction and operation are built to comply with the same state and federal regulations guiding pipeline infrastructure.

The need for the optimization of the Dakota Access Pipeline was born out of strong and sustained oil production in the Bakken region of North Dakota. With the Dakota Access Pipeline responsible for transporting as much as 40% of daily Bakken production, and production reaching 1.46 million barrels per day in November of 2019.

 
Illinois’ role in the country’s energy security has never been more important with the Patoka Oil Terminal servicing five major crude oil pipelines in the region through its 19 million barrel storage capacity. Outbound crude oil is delivered by pipeline to a number of refineries across the Midwest including Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. The processing capacity of the Patoka Oil Terminal is an integral part of the U.S. energy mix; however, short-sighted opponents continue to fight the proposed project.

Unfortunately, many of those opposed form some of the same groups that fueled the months-long Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 and 2017 – protests that left taxpayers on the hook for nearly $40 million in damages. These same opponents have encouraged followers to upend public hearings and pester policymakers without the facts in hand. In light of the recent poll showing broad support for the Dakota Access Pipeline and the state’s energy industry, it is clear these opponents are in the vocal minority.   

Record production in the Bakken and key infrastructure such as the Dakota Access Pipeline have been leaders in the country’s remarkable energy resurgence. Optimizing the Dakota Access Pipeline seizes the moment to add critical capacity to an important energy lifeline. Most importantly, the proposed project prioritizes safety and efficiency while supporting jobs, bolstering the nation’s energy security, and promoting new economic opportunities for Illinois.

Stevens is a former senior advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman and the spokesman for Grow America’s Infrastructure Now (GAIN).

(NAPSI)—Can you imagine a world without fruit or flowers? Without farms or forests? It sounds extreme, but it could happen. Plants are under attack and the culprit is invasive pests. Some are so small, you can’t see them with your eyes. But they are there, and it’s time that everyone takes notice. That’s why the United Nations (U.N.) has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. It’s calling on individuals, organ­izations, industries, scientists and governments at all levels to work together to protect plants against the introduction and spread of invasive pests.

Healthy Plants = Human Survival
Plants are the foundation of all life on Earth. They make the oxygen we breathe and give us 80 percent of the food we eat. They sustain our livestock, provide habitat for wildlife and help our world to thrive. And plants add beauty and joy to people’s lives.

According to the U.N., invasive pests destroy up to 40 percent of food crops globally and cause $220 billion in trade losses each year. This trade, worth nearly $1.7 trillion annually, has become crucial for human survival and economic growth in rural areas.

To feed the world’s growing population, the U.N. estimates that agricultural production must increase by about 60 percent by 2050. That means we must do everything we can now to protect plant health from destructive invasive pests.

What You Can Do
The good news is that there are simple steps anyone can take to protect plants. It just takes one person to make a difference. For example, a hospital groundskeeper in Boston was the first to notice a strange-looking, dime-sized hole in a tree. Her call provided an early warning and jump-started the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) control effort, which quickly eliminated the destructive Asian longhorned beetle from that city.

Here are ways you can help:
•    Look for and report unusual signs of pests or diseases in trees and plants.
•    Don’t move untreated firewood. Instead, buy heat-treated firewood or responsibly gather wood where you will burn it to ensure tree-killing beetles hiding inside can’t spread to new areas.
•    When returning from international travel, always declare any food, plants or other agricultural items to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, so its experts can ensure they are pest-free.
•    Before buying seeds or plants online from other countries, contact USDA to find out if the items need to be inspected and certified as pest-free or meet other conditions before you can legally bring them into this country.

Learn More
Locate a USDA office and find more tips on www.HungryPests.com, which describes invasive pests that people can accidentally spread and how to help prevent it. You can also join the conversation and get the latest updates at #PlantHealth and #IYPH2020 on social media.