Iowa State is slated to approve the use of university land to Dakota Access, LLC in order for the company to start construction on the controversial Bakken Pipeline.

More than 30 acres of land will be given to the company across Buena Vista and Story Counties and the pipeline will run through agricultural land used for research and teaching at Iowa State. Yet, with all the controversy over the environmental impact of the pipeline, is really the step that Iowa State University, an organization that has long upheld a green outlook, wants to take? Although the school will be “fairly compensated using market value” the hypocritical nature of this decision cannot be overlooked.

The pipeline, which has been criticized for what many claim to be unfair usage of eminent domain and potential environmental harm to Iowa lands and water, will run through 1,168 miles of mostly privately owned land with a width of over 50 feet. Multiple federal agencies, including the EPA and the Department of Interior, have recommended a full environmental impact study on the pipeline.

These fears are not unfounded. In the United States alone, pipelines have spilled more than three times as much crude oil into the environment compared to trains from 2004-2012. New studies have shown an upward trend in environmental damage caused by oil pipelines. Last year alone, The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration reported 314 significant incidences that cost tax payers more than $305 million and 10 fatalities. Furthermore, the Bakken Pipeline will cut through farm lands and water ways, creating a direct threat to Iowa’s bread and butter.

Iowa State’s decision comes at the same time as a lawsuit against the Iowa Utilities Board by a group of Iowa land owners. The lawsuit claims that Dakota Access has used eminent domain to violate their Fifth Amendment rights. Signs along I-35 between Ames and Des Moines express some of these frustrations with the bold letters “Stop Eminent Domain Abuse.” These landowners also claim that the utilities board is in violation of the state constitution, which limits eminent domain.

As an organization that prides itself on its agricultural programs and sustainability, this seems to be a wrong decision for Iowa State. If the university truly wants to create a more sustainable world, then backing a pipeline that will further increase Americans’ heroin-like addiction to oil is not the way to go. Furthermore, instead of taking solidarity with the landowners who wish to see their property preserved, Iowa State has turned its back not only on its call for sustainability but on its neighbors as well.