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State regulators dismissed a request last Tuesday to throw out an application for the South Dakota portion of Keystone XL pipeline. This sets up a decision as early as next month from the Public Utilities Commission on whether to re-approve the project.

Pipeline opponents argued before the PUC that President Barack Obama killed the project in November, which should put an end to the proceedings in South Dakota. But an attorney for TransCanada, the company behind the proposed pipeline, said the company remains committed to the project.

TransCanada’s proposed pipeline would go from Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

The project has prompted opposition from American Indian tribes, some landowners and environmental groups that were concerned that the pipeline would contaminate water supplies and contribute to pollution.

Supporters argue the pipeline would be a boon for the county and will create construction jobs and boost tax collections in South Dakota.
TransCanada CEO Russ Girling has said the company still wants to build the pipeline, attorney William Taylor said.

“The project has not been abandoned,” Taylor said. “TransCanada has not said this party is over. Rather, TransCanada has said the company is absolutely committed to the project.”

The state initially authorized TransCanada’s project in 2010, but permits must be revisited if construction doesn’t start within four years.

The commission is now considering the company’s guarantee that it can complete the project while meeting the conditions of the 2010 approval.

After dismissing opponents requests to block re-approval and revoke the underlying construction permit, commission chairman Chris Nelson said the panel could decide on the project at the January meeting.

The number of South Dakota kids who are overweight or obese is 32.2 percent, essentially unchanged for the fourth straight year, according to a new state health report.

“The 2014-2015 School Height and Weight Report shows no real change in the South Dakota’s child and adolescent overweight and obesity rates,” said Ashley Miller, chronic disease epidemiologist for the Department of Health. “While it’s good that the rates have leveled off, our goal is to see those numbers come down.”

Miller said the state’s 2014-2015 school height weight survey found 16.0 percent of South Dakota’s 5-19 year olds were obese and another 16.2 percent were overweight. In 2013-2014 the obesity rate was 15.8 percent and the overweight rate was 16.5 percent; in 2012-2013 the rates were 16.0 percent and 16.6 percent, respectively.

A total of 181 schools submitted student height and weight data for this latest survey, accounting for 37.3 percent of students in the state. The survey defines obese as at or above the 95th percentile body mass index-for-age when compared to kids of the same age and gender; overweight is between the 85th and 94th percentiles.

The department’s goal is to reduce the percentage of students who are obese to 14 percent by the year 2020.

Miller said the department offers a variety of resources to help encourage healthy diets and increase physical activity for kids. The Munch Code (www.munchcode.org/) provides healthy concessions information for schools and youth activities and Harvest of the Month (www.sdharvestofthemonth.org/) combines lessons and produce sampling to get kids eating more vegetables and fruit.

The full student height weight report is available at http://doh.sd.gov/statistics/.