Pipeline Task Force Rubber Stamps Status Quo

What did we expect? Pick guys who represent the status quo, and you'll get an endorsement of the status quo:

A task force report to the governor suggests no major changes in state regulation of existing or proposed pipelines across South Dakota.

The Legislature directed the group to review state laws and regulations dealing with buried pipelines of all types. Lawmakers acted in response to the TransCanada Keystone pipeline that will carry crude oil across the state.

According to the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the task force concluded that state laws and rules, in combination with federal oversight, are adequate ["Pipeline Task Force Completes Work," AP via KELOLand.com, 2008.12.08].

Remember, this is the task force that was told by the state lawyer back in August that South Dakota doesn't have any authority to regulate interstate pipelines. So what work was there for this task force to complete?

Another task force, another few months of thumb-twiddling.