Recall that the US Army Corps of Engineers touted the construction of the Oahe Dam on the geological formation known as Pierre Shale. That same shale accounts for the systematic breakup of roadways and railbeds in South Dakota likewise confounding KeystoneXL pipeline engineers. Engineers faced fierce pushback and technical headaches due to the high risk of slope failure, which could easily bend, stress, or rupture buried pipelines. The topic was covered at the conference of the United States Society on Dams in 2009: Slope Stability Concerns on Pierre Shale, Oahe Dam - Pierre, South Dakota...655, Robert J. Worden and Michael T. Kelly, Corps of Engineers.
Pierre Shale-associated mining or void failures continue to plague development in the state, famously triggering massive evacuations and lawsuits from neighborhood sinkholes in areas like those between Piedmont and Black Hawk.
Due to the shifting ground, the Casey Tibbs Foundation says areas outside of designated pathways may present safety hazards. Public safety is their highest priority, so they ask that all visitors stay on designated sidewalks and walkways while on the property and visit only during normal business hours. Conditions are being monitored around the clock. [Sliding hillside poses potential problem to Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre; Foundation Board says it’s not an imminent threat at this time]Stretches of I-94 in North Dakota crossing directly through Pierre Shale subgrades routinely encounter severe buckling, specifically around Bismarck, Mandan, and Menoken.
In a related story extreme wildfire potential has returned to the horrible red states on the northern Plains.
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