The Iowa Utilities Commission is advancing hearings on the second phase of a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would extend the project by hundreds of miles. The pipeline, initially intended by Summit Carbon Solutions to transport CO2 from ethanol plants across the Corn Belt to North Dakota for underground storage, faces legal challenges concerning the use of eminent domain for land acquisition.
The commission recently heard comments on the proposed hearing schedule for additional sections of Summit’s route. It approves permits for hazardous liquid pipelines and evaluates if projects can seize private property along the route. Approval requires a finding that the project will “promote public necessity,” according to Sarah Martz, the panel’s chair.
Summit Carbon Transport, leading the project’s second phase, requested the commission expedite the draft schedule, aiming for a decision by year’s end. The Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association support this expedited decision-making. However, landowners along the proposed route argue that it’s premature to set a hearing schedule.
Deborah Main, whose family farm near Sioux City is affected, stated, “What exactly is the purpose of this project?” The pipeline faces further obstacles, including a South Dakota ban on eminent domain for carbon pipelines and a North Dakota judge revoking the company’s CO2 storage permit.
Summit is now exploring alternative destinations such as Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Kansas. Bret Dublinske, a company attorney, expressed the need for flexibility during an Iowa district court hearing. More details about the project can be found on the project website.
In September, Summit petitioned to amend its permit terms, seeking to remove language specifying a pipeline route or destination. The commission has yet to decide on this petition. Meanwhile, an Iowa district court is hearing a case from landowners challenging the commission’s phase one approval.
At a recent hearing, many landowners argued that Summit should finalize the pipeline’s destination before proceeding. “This is a pipeline to nowhere,” said Kerry King, a landowner in Dickens, Iowa. Attorney Brant Leonard for Summit asserted that evidence for phase two could be expedited as it is similar to previous pipeline evidence.
The connection to previous hearings offers little reassurance, as Main noted, “This docket is dependent on the original project that’s now entangled in chaos and litigation.”
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org