Opponents of carbon pipelines are asking federal officials to issue a moratorium on new construction. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is holding a two-day public hearing in Des Moines. Kim Junker, a Grundy County farmer, says if state regulators give the go-ahead for construction of the three carbon pipelines proposed in Iowa, the federal agency should adopt new safety standards for the operation of pipelines — and the response to ruptures.
Three people from Mississippi are in Iowa, testifying before federal officials about a carbon pipeline rupture three years ago near a small town Satartia . Debrae Burns and his family saw the explosion, their car shut off and all three passed out.
Gerald Briggs is the first responder who rescued Burns and had to take him to an ambulance five miles from the site because gas-powered vehicles don’t work in a cloud of carbon dioxide.
Briggs spoke at a news conference organized by opponents of the three pipeline routes proposed in Iowa. Jack Willingham is the emergency management director for the county where the carbon pipeline ruptured. He says crews first responded to the report of a green cloud in the area.
The director of regulatory affairs for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline says the company will use state-of-the-art technology to detect and prevent any potential issues — and will meet or exceed federal safety standards.
