HURON – Dakota Access Pipeline has donated $20,000 to each of the 13 counties that it traverses as a goodwill gesture and to support emergency management agencies in South Dakota.
Pipeline representatives presented the checks on Wednesday in separate appearances in Ipswich, for the counties of Campbell, McPherson, Edmunds and Faulk; in Huron, for the counties of Beadle, Spink, Miner and Kingsbury; and in Sioux Falls, for the counties of Lake, McCook, Minnehaha, Turner and Lincoln.
Donations totaled $260,000.
“Dakota Access Pipeline takes great pride and is committed to being a good neighbor, a part of the community and a good business partner,” said Mike Futch, vice president of Interstate Engineering for Energy Transfer and project manager on Dakota Access.
He said the company takes seriously its close working relationships with local emergency responders.
“That is one of the things that makes a safe, reliable, regulatory-compliant pipeline operation possible,” Futch said.

The funds are to be used by emergency management departments and agencies for local needs such as new equipment and additional training for first responders.
Futch said county officials Dakota Access has talked with have a variety of plans and ideas for the funds.

Photo:

Representatives of four area counties through which the Dakota Access Pipeline passes were presented with $20,000 checks Wednesday as goodwill donations from the company. From left are Beadle County Commission Vice Chairman Denis Drake, Spink County Emergency Manager Larry Tebben, Kingsbury County Emergency Manager Cindy Bau, Charles Till, manager of pipeline operations for the company; and Miner County Emergency Manager Bob Calmus.

Photo by Roger Larsen of the Plainsman