The Public Service Commission will hold a hearing next week concerning alleged siting permit violations by the builders of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The hearing will deal with the company clearing more trees and shrubs than authorized.
A second violation concerns a re-route of the pipeline to avoid “culturally significant” areas. The company did the reroute without notifying the PSC. And the Commission has filed a formal complaint about it.
Any hearing on that second complaint has been put on hold. Meanwhile, the PSC has held a number of “executive sessions” – closed to the public – to talk with attorneys about the matter. One such session was held Tuesday.
"We just talked with our attorneys about various options for how we might deal with it," Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said after the executive session.
Fedorchak said she doesn’t think the PSC needs another executive session at this point. Does she see a resolution coming?
"Well, we hope so," Fedorchak told reporters. "That's the goal."
The company – Energy Transfer Partners – could be fined up to $10,000 a day, with a $200,000 cap.