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What We Can Learn from the Dakota Access Pipeline

By: Andrew Botkin, Karl Karch, Alex Kim,

Justin Parsons, and Kelland Priest

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Presentation Agenda

  • What is the Dakota Access Pipeline?
  • Project Timeline
  • How do we analyze it?
  • Why does it matter?
  • How we can do better?

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Introduction: What is the Dakota Access Pipeline?

  • Combined effort of Energy Transfer Partners and the US Government.
  • Carries crude oil from oil fields in North Dakota to oil tanks in Illinois.
  • 470,000 barrels of oil a day or 30 olympic pools
  • Intended to lower oil prices and promote domestic energy independence.

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Context: Project Timeline

  • Original route planned May 2014
  • Pathway altered Sept. 2014
  • Protests from April 2016 to Feb. 2017
  • Construction started June 2016
  • Obama admin denied permits in Sept. 2016
  • Trump signed exec order in Jan. 2017
  • Pipeline completed April 2017

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Context: Project Challenges

  • Faced many protests from environmentalists and Native Americans.
  • Controversy shows problems with the engineering process.
  • Perfect example of an ill-structured problem.

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Methods: How Did We Analyze It?

  • Interview with Ben Priest
    • Father of group member
    • “Average American” perspective
    • Conducted in person
  • Interview Highlights
    • Supports the pipeline.
    • Emphasised energy independance.
    • Viewed Obama’s role as politically motivated

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Government

Engineers/

USACE

Environmental

Corporate/

Employment

Media

Enforces Regulations / Incentives

Competing

Interests

Provides Information

Informs

Opinion

Influence Diagram

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Discussion: Why Does It Matter?

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  • What responsibilities did the engineering team bear?
    • George Catalano says engineers serve “integral community”
    • They must serve the needs of all community members
    • Environmental needs as well
    • Think holisticly and atomistically
    • Don’t neglect any one group

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Discussion (Continued)

  • What should the engineering team have considered that they didn’t?
    • Ill Structured Problems (David Jonassen)
    • People Centered Technology/Participatory Engineering (Arnold Pacey)

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Recommendations: What Can We Do Better?

  • Communication/Accommodation
    • Be upfront about risks
    • Meet Sioux Tribe on their land
  • Long Term Repercussions
    • Once built, difficult/impossible to undo
    • Long-term environmental effects

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References:

https://rmhorne.org/2016/11/06/nodapl-twitter-analysis/#sdfootnote9sym

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/12/media-report-standing-rock-161214101627199.html

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/320862-dakota-access-developer-underestimated-social-media-opposition

“Engineering in a Morally Deep World” in Engineering Ethics: Peace, Justice, and the Earth by George Catalano

“Everyday Problem Solving in Engineering: Lessons for Engineering Educators” by David Jonassen et al

“Understanding Technology” in Beyond Engineering: How Society Shapes Technology by Robert Pool

“People Centered Technology” by Arnold Pacey

Project 1 Reports

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